Our Company History
Whole World Botanicals was founded in 1995 with a vision of helping ordinary people assume more responsibility for their health by extending their healthy eating to include dietary supplements which could literally transform their quality of life. We have carefully selected certified organic, sustainably wildcrafted, therapeutic botanical concentrates, extracts, teas and specialty products from the Peruvian rainforest and the Andes mountains–the reservoir of some of the greatest, most potent natural remedies on the planet.
We are a company of firsts—first to introduce Maca Root to the U.S. market—a natural hormone balancer in 1995. The first also to introduce Camu-Camu, Chanca Piedra, Desmodium, and other little known, highly effective Amazon rainforest botanicals. We source these products ourselves and teach you how to use them!
Whole World Botanicals was founded by three social entrepreneurs: an American anthropologist a Peruvian midwife, and a distinguished botanist specializing in species of the upper Amazon River Basin, one of the most diverse botanical areas in the world. Their goal was to do good for all of the Company’s stakeholders: The Peruvian Maca farmers, the rainforest botanicals’ collectors and growers, customers and employees.
Whole World Botanicals is a nearly unique herbal products company because we have made personal relationships with our herbal growers and collectors and carry out an active social mission with them. Over the years our projects have included the following:
- Since 1996 Whole World Botanicals has helped eliminate extreme poverty in the most disparaged Peruvian communities
- Distributed 1000 notebooks and 2000 pencils to the settlements along the Curaray River for children to use in school.
- Initiated a pilot Solar Energy Project with Maca-growing communities to demonstrate solar cookers and provide workshops on building a solar space to heat their homes
Whole World Botanicals is currently partnering with Water with Blessings to help Camu-Camu collectors secure clean water for their families.
Learn more about our Social Mission projects…
Viana Muller, PhD, is co-founder and President of Whole World Botanicals. She wishes to provide highly beneficial natural health products to consumers while helping the producing communities.
“By founding Whole World Botanicals in 1995, I discovered a way to join forces with native people to provide a market for their medicinal herbs and to make them partners in our company’s venture by returning to them a percentage of profit,” states Dr. Muller.
“The trail that led me to studying the maca root began in 1989 during an anthropological field research trip to the jungles of Peru,” the anthropologist explains. “Then I came across Cat’s Claw which at that time was almost totally unknown in the USA. From there I became involved in looking for other highly effective Peruvian medicinal herbs.
“In 1994, I came upon maca and spent the next two years researching its botany, history of use, and how it’s used today by native peoples and medical doctors practicing in Peru.”
