Kerry Hughes, M.Sc., RH(AHG), FDN-P
Kerry Hughes is an ethnobotanist, herbalist, and author with more than 20 years of experience driving innovation in natural product development at the intersection of traditional plant knowledge, modern science, and global markets. She is certified as an Ethnobotanist and a Clinical Herbalist by the Berkeley Herbal Center and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a Master of Science in Agriculture with an emphasis in ethnobotany and soil science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
As principal of EthnoPharm, Kerry works at the nexus of market opportunity identification, innovative product formulation, and global natural product ingredient development, collaborating with companies and supply chains around the world to bring new botanical ingredients and phyto-based products to market. Her work is driven by a conviction that “plants can heal people and the planet,” and she focuses on ethno-botanical discovery and strategically expanding the boundaries of natural product development in ways that support both human health and biodiversity conservation.
Kerry has served as a consultant to the United Nations through the International Trade Centre (ITC) on international development projects involving botanicals, where she has helped align local and indigenous plant knowledge with sustainable, globally viable supply chains. In these roles, she often bridges small producers, communities, and emerging botanical ingredients with companies seeking scientifically grounded and ethically sourced materials, ensuring that development benefits both market partners and local ecosystems.
Her expertise spans concept-to-market product development, including botanical selection, evidence review, formulation strategy, claims support, and positioning for dietary supplements, functional foods, and wellness products. She has authored over a dozen articles in peer‑reviewed scientific journals and written and spoken widely on natural product topics, offering thought leadership on subjects such as ethnobotany, functional botanicals, sustainability, and global botanical trade.
In addition to serving on the Nootropics Depot Scientific Advisory Board, Kerry serves on the Scientific & Medical Advisory Boards for Amare Global, Good Pharma, and Hilma, contributes as a Judge for Global Food Forums, and sits on the Editorial Board for Ethnopharmacology, a peer‑reviewed scientific journal. She is also committed to integrative herbalism and functional nutrition through her work with BetterThanHealthy, where she helps translate complex phytochemical and ethnobotanical insights into practical, client‑centered wellness strategies.