As the world becomes increasingly connected, consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental and social impact of the products they purchase. In response, many brands and companies are beginning to focus on sourcing their raw materials from sustainable and ethical sources. Viroute, a natural raw material sourcing platform, is gaining much attention for its traceable medicinal plants and high-quality herbs for Chinese medicine. Their data-driven B2B system can be used by medical companies, cosmetic companies, natural health supplement companies, and any other company looking for herbal solutions.
South Korea is rich in herbal solutions for treating modern medical problems. The medicinal plants export market in South Korea is expected to grow 5.2% to 3.8 million units in 2022.
Why is Natural Raw Material Sourcing Important?
Natural raw material sourcing is important for several reasons. First, it helps to protect the environment. Sourcing materials from sustainably managed forests, for example, helps to ensure that these ecosystems are not destroyed or degraded. Second, natural raw material sourcing supports local communities. By buying materials from small-scale farmers and producers, brands and companies can help to create jobs and reduce poverty in these communities.
Natural raw material sourcing promotes transparency and traceability. Consumers are increasingly interested in knowing where their products come from and how they are made. Sourcing raw materials from sustainable and ethical sources help brands and companies build customer trust. This is very important as Viroute preserves traceability and quality control as they directly connect farmers and companies.
How it works
Viroute verifies every farmer in their system and gathers the exact data by visiting each site. They then input data from public government databases, published articles, and papers to offer the most reliable information. Currently, Viroute has over 3,000 herbs in its database.
The process is both fast and precise. Companies request a sample. After matching the sample from the database, Viroute sends samples that match the buyer’s requirement. After the buyer does their quality test, they can buy and order the shipment.
If an herb is not in the database, they will find it, locate the farmers and test the samples. Moreover, after the sample passes the check, it will be put into the database. In the end, this says buyers’ time by 90% and costs by 40%.
The Future of Viroute
Natural raw material sourcing is important for brands and companies for various reasons. It helps to protect the environment, support local communities, and promote transparency and traceability. As consumers become more aware of the impact of their purchases, sustainability is likely to become an even more important consideration for brands and companies. Viroute understands this and focuses on dominating the Korean market before branching into Southeast Asia. They recently partnered with Kyunbuk National University to further study different cultivation methods for items with continuous demand from overseas customers.
Viroute will continue to collect data tailored to the natural product market. They already have strong Korean medicinal plants’ export knowledge and experience. As well as market insights and quality control know-how in Korea. As South Korea has a high demand for plants and herbs related to Chinese medicine, this will still be a focus for the company moving forward. However, their primary focus will remain on herbal medicine, natural cosmetics, and natural health supplements. Altogether this is a $250 billion industry globally. As they continue to increase their accuracy, speed, and convenience of sourcing medicinal plants for businesses, it is only a matter of time before they look to dominate the global market.
