Plants have been used as food, medicine, and cultural tools for thousands of years, but due to politics and misinformation, many of the world's most valuable botanical resources remain understudied and misunderstood. Which is why the Beneficial Plant Research Association (BPRA) was created.
Founded in 1979 by Dr. Andrew Weil, ethnobotanist Dr. Timothy Plowman, and Margaret "Honey" Williams, BPRA was created to investigate and promote plants with the potential to improve human health and well-being. They organized a stellar scientific advisory board including Richard Shultes, Alexander Shulgin, Albert Hoffman, and Alejandro, Zaffaroni. The organization's original mission focused on researching promising plants that could serve as novel foods, beverages, medicines, and other beneficial products while preserving the traditional knowledge surrounding their use.
Why was BPRA founded?
The founders of BPRA recognized that Indigenous cultures around the world possess generations of knowledge about medicinal and useful plants, knowledge that has been at risk of being lost. They believed that many plants with significant nutritional, therapeutic, and ecological value had not received the scientific attention they deserved. BPRA has heavily focused on studying coca leaf, a plant that has been used traditionally in the Andes for thousands of years but has often been misunderstood because of its association with cocaine. BPRA sought to explore the plant's nutritional, cultural, and medicinal properties through scientific research and education.
However, as drug policy shifted during the 1980s and the "War on Drugs" intensified, opportunities for research on coca and other beneficial plants became increasingly limited. Much of BPRA's work slowed, despite growing interest in the role of plants in human health.
Why coca leaf?
Coca leaf, a plant native to the Andes Mountains of South America, has been used by Indigenous communities for thousands of years. While coca is often associated with cocaine, the leaf in its natural form is very different from the concentrated, chemically processed drug derived from it.
For generations, people living at high altitudes in countries such as Peru and Bolivia have chewed coca leaves or consumed them as tea to help combat fatigue, support endurance, ease hunger, aid digestion, and alleviate symptoms of altitude sickness. Coca leaves also contain a variety of nutrients, including calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins, along with numerous naturally occurring alkaloids and phytonutrients.
Researchers interested in coca argue that the plant's medicinal potential has been overshadowed by decades of political and legal controversy. Organizations such as BPRA advocate for a more evidence-based approach to understanding coca, examining its traditional uses, nutritional properties, and possible therapeutic applications. Emerging research suggests coca may have benefits related to energy metabolism, digestive health, altitude adaptation, and overall well-being.
Dr. Andrew Weil has long maintained that the coca leaf deserves objective scientific investigation rather than being judged solely by its association with cocaine. One of the questions BPRA asks is how society can fairly evaluate potentially beneficial plants when cultural, political, or historical factors limit scientific research.
By supporting responsible research into coca and other traditionally used botanicals, BPRA hopes to encourage a more nuanced understanding of plant medicine.
Why is BPRA important today?
More than four decades after its founding, BPRA's mission is more relevant than ever.
According to the organization, there are more than 28,000 known medicinal plant species worldwide, yet many face threats from habitat destruction, overharvesting, and the loss of traditional ecological knowledge. At the same time, modern research has often focused on isolating single compounds from plants rather than studying how whole plants function as complex systems.
BPRA advocates for rigorous, evidence-based research on whole plants, recognizing that plants contain numerous bioactive compounds that may work together in ways that isolated ingredients cannot fully replicate. The organization also emphasizes the importance of protecting biodiversity and honoring Indigenous knowledge systems that have preserved plant wisdom for generations.
Where things stand
In 2024, Dr. Weil and Andre Fasciola (founders of Matcha.com) revitalized BPRA, bringing together researchers, ethnobotanists, physicians, and conservationists to continue the organization's original mission. Today, BPRA supports projects focused on whole-plant research, biodiversity conservation, and the preservation of traditional plant knowledge.
Two of its current flagship efforts include a major initiative examining the role of botanical medicine in women's health and a renewed focus on coca leaf research and education. The organization is also developing educational resources, supporting research collaborations, and producing a documentary exploring the cultural and scientific history of coca.
At its core, BPRA wants to bridge traditional plant wisdom with modern scientific understanding. By supporting responsible research, conservation, and education, the organization hopes to ensure that valuable plant knowledge is preserved and that we can use beneficial plants to support both human and planetary health for generations to come.
Bottom line
The Beneficial Plant Research Association was founded on a simple yet important idea: that plants have the potential to improve human health, and that we should study, protect, and learn from them before that knowledge is lost. More than 45 years after its creation, BPRA continues to champion whole-plant research, biodiversity conservation, and the preservation of traditional knowledge, helping to create a future where science and plant wisdom can work hand in hand.
