aunched in January 1998, the Natural Products Initiative at The Field Museum capitalizes on the rich interconnections among anthropology, botany, zoology and environmental conservation at the Museum. The mission of the Natural Products Initiative is to develop ecologically sound practices in the use of biological resources. In modern society, human connections to the products of the natural world, and our dependence on these products, are obscured. The role of the Natural Products Initiative is to reconnect the public with the plant and animal world on which we rely so heavily.

 

Goals of the Natural Products Initiative include:

• Generating frameworks for viable, low-impact alternatives to potentially damaging use of plant and animal resources in high priority conservation regions.
• Cultivating interdisciplinary research and enterprise partnerships targeted on specific renewable products.
• Expanding accessibility of Field Museum collections (through imaging, databases) to researchers, conservationists, sustainable business ventures and the public.
• Increasing public awareness of economically useful plants and natural products in our everyday lives.
• Promoting wide appreciation for the conservation of plant, animal and cultural diversity.

 

 

The Natural Products Initiative is a division of the Environmental and Conservation Programs at The Field Museum.