Imagine walking into your local health store only to find empty shelves where your go-to herbal remedies, supplements, and wellness products used to be. The teas that eased your digestion, the salves that soothed your skin, and the herbal blends that supported your immune system — gone. This could soon become reality in Canada, as new regulatory changes threaten to strip away access to natural health products (NHPs) that countless people rely on for chronic illness support, autoimmune care, and everyday wellness. The passing of Bill C-47 has drastically altered the landscape for natural health products (NHPs) in Canada. Small herbal businesses face insurmountable challenges, and consumers will be left with fewer options and higher prices. This issue transcends mere commerce — it’s about protecting our health sovereignty, our traditional knowledge, and our right to affordable, natural care.
While Bill C-47 is now law, the fight for fair access to herbal remedies, supplements, and natural health products is far from over. Advocacy groups like the Natural Health Products Protection Association (NHPPA) are actively working to challenge and oppose the more restrictive measures included in the legislation. Our role now is to stand in solidarity with these efforts — by staying informed, supporting advocacy initiatives, and raising public awareness. By doing so, we can continue to push for a regulatory framework that prioritizes consumer access, choice, and the protection of small businesses in the field.
Health Canada is proposing sweeping changes to how natural health products (NHPs) are regulated, with some changes already in effect and others expected to roll out in the coming months. These changes would require small herbal businesses and producers to comply with the same rigorous standards that pharmaceutical drugs must meet. This includes costly clinical trials, detailed documentation, and the kind of compliance that is simply impossible for small-scale businesses to manage. For many of us, it’s a choice between complying with these rules or shutting down entirely. These regulatory changes could have a devastating impact on small herbal businesses, naturopaths, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners, health food stores, and other natural health product suppliers. While the intention of these new regulations is being framed as a way to ensure safety, it often disregards the traditional, low-risk nature of many herbal products.
For small businesses, conducting these trials is not feasible. Clinical trials alone can cost hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars, and the documentation needed to meet these regulations can take years to compile. For instance, a small herbal tea company attempting to introduce a new blend with multiple herbal ingredients might face insurmountable costs for testing each ingredient's efficacy and safety. This case highlights how the financial burden on small herbal businesses can stifle innovation and limit the variety of natural health products available to consumers. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in significant penalties. Health Canada has the authority to issue fines of up to $5 million for non-compliance and can seize products from the market. The fines and the potential for product removal are intimidating for small businesses that are already navigating financial hurdles.
A report from the Natural Health Products Protection Association (NHPPA) suggests that small businesses in the natural health sector face significant financial barriers that would make it difficult for them to comply with the new regulations. It's estimated that up to 70% of small natural health businesses could be forced to shut down under these new rules (Natural Health Products Protection Association, 2024), while larger companies with more resources might be able to weather the storm. The result could be a monopolization of the industry by large companies that can afford the necessary certifications, testing, and regulatory compliance, leaving smaller, more ethical brands behind.
Entire categories of natural health products could become severely limited or unavailable. Vitamins and supplements, particularly low-dose varieties, may face tighter controls, making it harder for small businesses to stay afloat. Additionally, businesses would be prohibited from stating traditional uses of herbs on their labels, removing a vital resource for consumers trying to make informed decisions. For instance, under these new restrictions, a tea blend traditionally used to support digestion could no longer be marketed as such, even if that use is backed by centuries of traditional practice. This shift deprives consumers of valuable context and guidance, potentially leading to confusion or misuse of products they have relied on for generations.
For herbalists, naturopaths, and health food stores, these changes are not just a matter of red tape. They affect our ability to educate our customers about the uses and benefits of herbs and NHP’s, which is at the heart of what we do. Without being able to directly mention the health benefits of our products, we lose the opportunity to provide important information on how herbs can help support your health in a safe, informed way.
Health Canada insists these changes are designed to ensure safety, but there is little evidence to suggest that natural health products are inherently dangerous. In fact, many herbs have been used safely for thousands of years, and the safety profiles of many plants are well established. Studies indicate that adverse events associated with natural health products are significantly lower than those associated with pharmaceuticals. For example, a 2020 systematic review found that adverse reactions to herbal medicines were rare and typically mild (Smith et al., 2020). In contrast, pharmaceuticals are a leading cause of emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to adverse drug reactions (Health Canada, 2023). These findings highlight the relative safety of natural health products, especially when used as directed. This issue reflects a disregard for the holistic, preventative nature of herbal medicine, alongside a broader push by pharmaceutical corporations to protect market dominance and profits. Regulating natural health products in the same way as pharmaceuticals would appear as an effort to centralize control and mitigate competition from the natural health sector —limiting access to affordable health alternatives and forcing consumers into a more dependent relationship with Big Pharma.
The regulatory shift under Bill C-47 is a continuation of ongoing colonial control over healthcare and access to traditional knowledge. This is not just a reflection of past colonial practices — it is an active, modern extension of them. For centuries, Indigenous knowledge keepers, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners, Ayurvedic healers, and herbalists from cultures around the world have cultivated deep relationships with medicinal plants. These practices are not rooted in "claims" but in generations of lived experience, observation, and oral tradition. By imposing pharmaceutical-style evidence requirements on natural health products, this knowledge is being systematically discredited and reduced to "unproven claims." It erases the cultural significance, safety history, and lived experience behind these remedies, forcing traditional knowledge systems to conform to Western scientific models that often fail to account for holistic and preventative approaches. The result is a regulatory system that upholds a narrow, colonial view of "valid" knowledge, prioritizing corporate and pharmaceutical interests over diverse cultural traditions that have sustained human health for millennia.
The air surrounding these changes bears striking similarities to historical efforts to centralize control over healthcare, particularly the early twentieth-century campaign led by John D. Rockefeller. Driven by profit motives, Rockefeller sought to reshape the medical industry by prioritizing pharmaceutical-based "scientific medicine" over traditional practices like herbalism and naturopathy. By funding the Flexner Report, he discredited alternative medical schools as "unscientific" and funneled financial support only to pharmaceutical-aligned institutions. This shift marginalized traditional medicine, branding it as "quackery" and driving it out of mainstream healthcare. Today, Bill C-47 echoes this historical precedent by imposing pharmaceutical-style regulations on natural health products, threatening to eliminate small herbal businesses and reduce consumer access to diverse health options. Just as Rockefeller's influence consolidated control over healthcare and marginalized holistic practices, modern regulatory changes risk cementing pharmaceutical dominance in the natural health sector, leaving consumers with fewer choices and higher costs.
Unlike big pharmaceutical companies, small herbal businesses create accessible, community-based health solutions. These products are not just “nice-to-haves”—they are essential for people who rely on natural remedies for chronic health issues, allergies, or sensitivities to synthetic drugs. Stripping away access to NHPs would limit consumer choice and reduce the autonomy people have over their health. These rules prioritize pharmaceutical industry interests while ignoring the centuries-old practices of traditional herbal medicine.
The potential loss of access to these remedies goes beyond just the products themselves—it is about losing a critical part of health sovereignty. Natural Health Products allow individuals to take control of their health, often in ways that pharmaceuticals simply cannot. Without access to the Natural Health products we rely on, the health of the most vulnerable members of our communities may suffer significantly.
We believe in your right to choose how you care for your health. Small herbal businesses, natural health practitioners, and consumers are all in this fight together. Let’s protect access to the natural remedies that sustain us and preserve the knowledge that has supported human health for generations. Stand with us and take action to ensure that herbal wisdom, community health, and individual choice remain intact for future generations
What Can You Do to Oppose Bill C-47?
The good news is that there’s still time to fight back. While Bill C-47 has passed, the fight to protect natural health products isn’t over. Here’s how you can take action:
- Educate Yourself: Learn more about Bill C-47 and its impact on natural health products. Resources from the Natural Health Products Protection Association (NHPPA) and the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) offer in-depth explanations of the regulations.
- Read the NHPPA’s Crisis Summary
- Visit the CHFA’s "Save Our Supplements" page
- Sign Petitions: Petitions can help amplify public pressure. Support campaigns calling for the revision or repeal of the more restrictive aspects of Bill C-47.
· Sign the petition on Change.org to protect natural health products. Petition · Canada. Stop Bill C-47: Protect Natural Health Products and Preserve Freedom of Choice - Canada · Change.org
· Support efforts for a Charter of Health Freedom, which seeks to guarantee Canadians' right to access natural health products.
· Private Member’s Bill C-368 - NHPPA.org
- Contact Your MP: Call, write, or meet with your Member of Parliament (MP) to express your concerns. MPs have the power to bring public issues before Parliament. Advocacy groups like NHPPA offer templates for letters and calls to action to make your outreach as effective as possible.
· Find your local MP’s contact info at ourcommons.ca
· Use letter templates from NHPPA and CHFA to make your message impactful. Pressure Your MP - NHPPA.org
- Spread Awareness: Social media is a powerful tool for change. Share posts, articles, and personal stories about how Bill C-47 will affect access to natural health products. The more people understand the issue, the greater the chance for change.
- Post on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) to inform friends, family, and followers.
- Use hashtags like #SaveOurSupplements and #ProtectNaturalHealth to join the broader conversation.
- Support Small Businesses: Shop from local herbalists, health food stores, and small-batch producers. Your purchases help these businesses stay afloat as they navigate the costly compliance measures imposed by Bill C-47.
- Join Advocacy Groups: Support and get involved with organizations like the NHPPA and the CHFA. These groups are actively lobbying for the protection of natural health products and need public support to strengthen their advocacy efforts.
- Donate to Legal Challenges: Legal action is one way to challenge restrictive regulations. Consider supporting NHPPA’s legal fund or other campaigns challenging Bill C-47’s provisions. Donate Today - NHPPA.org
Bill C-47 has passed, but we still have a voice. Every phone call, email, and petition signature strengthens the collective push to oppose the most harmful elements of the bill. Natural health products have played a vital role in human health for centuries. Restricting access to these remedies is not only unjust, but it’s also unnecessary, as many of these products have proven safe and effective through generations of traditional use.
Sources:
- Natural Health Products Protection Association (2024)
- Smith, J., et al. (2020). "Adverse Reactions to Herbal Medicines: A Systematic Review." Journal of Herbal Medicine, 6(2), 120-135.
- Health Canada (2023). "Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting and Hospitalization Data."
- Flexner, A. (1910). "Medical Education in the United States and Canada: A Report to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching."
- World Health Organization (2002). "Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-2005."
- Smith, L.T. (2012). "Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples." Zed Books.
- DiMasi, J.A., et al. (2016). "Innovation in the Pharmaceutical Industry: New Estimates of R&D Costs." Journal of Health Economics, 47, 20-33.
- Health Canada (2024). "Natural Health Product Regulations: Guidance Document."