When it comes to ways nutraceutical industry leaders and brands can get involved in advocating for and shaping the industry, Villalobos said advocacy starts with supporting the trade groups.
“I for one belong to the Natural Products Association [and] the American Herbal Products Association, not only to advocate for industry, but we also support these organizations who keep us informed,” said Villalobos. “If we're not supporting the organizations that are doing the work for the entire industry—making sure we have the right governance climate, making sure elected officials understand our industry so that they can properly support us properly—If we're not supporting the trade groups that do this every day, we may find ourselves without an industry.”
Another way he advocates for the industry is by attending NPA’s yearly Day on the Hill and speaking directly with elected officials. Villalobos said he has been building these relationships for many years, with politicians visiting Lief Labs and touring the facility.
“We expect our elected officials to be all knowing—no, we need to educate them,” Villalobos said. “We need to build their trust, and when we're educating, we need to educate them on the foundations of the laws that they helped put in place so they understand how well they're working but they also understand areas that they're not working well.
“As stewards of industry and leaders of industry and leaders of community, we need to make sure that when we are educating elected officials, we're giving them both sides of the story. We don't just tell them how great our industry is and how wonderful we are. We also [need to] let them know where we fall short and also where the agencies that govern us fall short.”
To hear more on the importance of partnerships, education and ways to get involved, listen to the NutraCast.
If you enjoy listening to the NutraCast, feel free to leave a review. You can subscribe on Apple, iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
