The American Botanical Council (ABC), American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and Natural Product Association (NPA) have all announced award offerings for notable industry players. In addition, Acme-Hardesty Co. achieved a new supply chain certification.

ABC awarded Nancy J. Turner, Ph.D. its 2014 James A. Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award. Turner received the award for her two-volume work, “Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge: Ethnobotany and Ecological Wisdom of Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America" (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2014), based on her research concerning the plants, practices and ecology of native tribes. In addition, ABC awarded Professor Harry H.S. Fong, Ph.D., the ABC Norman R. Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award for 2014. Fong is professor emeritus of pharmacognosy in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy at the University of Illinois – Chicago (UIC). AHPA also announced the winners of its 2015 AHPA Awards for individuals and companies making substantive, positive contributions to the herbal products industry. This year's AHPA award winners are: Dick Griffin (AHPA Herbal Hero award); Tieraona Low Dog, M.D. (AHPA Herbal Insight award); Mountain Rose Herbs (AHPA Herbal Industry Leader award); Hank Shultz and Stephen Daniells (Special AHPA Award for Journalistic Excellence).

In addition to these exciting achievements, Acme-Hardesty Co. earned a RSPO mass balance supply chain certification, guaranteeing that all Acme-Hardesty U.S.-based facilities have met the criteria required by RSPO for processing sustainable palm oil and derivatives. The certification will enable its customers to carry a seal of approval on products made with Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO), verifying that the palm oil used is sustainable and traceable through standards met by each facility in the supply chain.

And finally, NPA is now accepting nominations for the 22nd Annual NPA Awards, the premier honors for the natural products industry. The deadline for submissions is April 1, 2015. Nominations are being accepted for: President’s Award, Burton Kallman Scientific Award, Rachel Carson Environmental Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award, Industry Champion Award, Clinician Award, and Socially Responsible Retailer Award. Descriptions of individual awards can be found on NPA’s website.