News Articles from 2020
May 13, 2020
Community Distribution of Free Moringa Tree Seedlings
Today we set up an educational booth and gave away about 150 potted organic moringa tree seedlings at the farmers market in Naʻālehu, Hawaiʻi operated by the ʻO Kaʻū Kākou (OKK) charity. This was intended to improve awareness of the nutritional and medicinal properties of these “miracle trees” and provide local families with a “grow-your-own” solution for reducing food insecurity.
Marvelle Rau made the masks matching our company colors. Marion Gervischat helped us to grow the trees, set up the booth and distribute the seedlings to our visitors. OKK provided the booth space at no charge. Mahalo to all who helped make this event a success!
For more information see the full story and photos in the May 13, 2020 edition of The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island: http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/
 Free Organic Moringa Seedlings Distributed at Farmers Market |
May 6, 2020
Sustainable Bioresources, LLC Joins the XPrize Pandemic Alliance
We are pleased to announce that our company has joined the XPrize Pandemic Alliance.
The XPRIZE hosts high-profile competitions to promote radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. It responded to the COVID-19 crisis by uniting a global alliance of innovators to find unconventional solutions to pandemic threats. The Alliance is a global coalition that combines the power of collaboration, competition, shared innovation and radical thinking to accelerate solutions that can be applied to COVID-19 and future pandemics. We are sharing our idea for potential use of moringa extracts as a multi-functional nutritional supplement or treatment for COVID-19 infections. For more information about the Alliance please visit covid19.xprize.org.
April 20, 2020
Reopening of Online Store
Our online store is reopening and will resume sales. Customers may expect extended shipping delays on some items, especially non-certified plants and seeds that require inspections at distant facilities.
April 19, 2020
Moringa Proposed as a Potential Treatment for COVID-19
While research on development of drug candidates for COVID-19 infections is in progress no specific treatments are currently available. The leaves and seeds of moringa have many well established antiviral, anti-inflammatory and other activities that suggest their potential use as natural products for treatment of these infections. Our founder has just completed an extensive search of the scientific literature, published a summary of the supporting information collected, and a draft review article. This is believed to be the first compilation of information on this subject.
The use of moringa for treatment has not been investigated and it may not be effective. However, it is highly nutritious, can be produced at low cost, and has been safely used as a food and for traditional medicine purposes for thousands of years. Growing moringa may also improve food security during crises.
We are bringing awareness of this to the scientific community and strongly advocating for research on the potential use of moringa for treatment of COVID-19 to be conducted.
March 26, 2020
Application for Hawaii Seal of Quality Program Approved!
Our application to become a member of the prestigious Hawaiʻi Seal of Quality Program of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture has been approved! Holders of the Hawaiʻi Seals of Quality represent the cream of the crop of Hawaii’s agricultural producers. The program was founded by 12 notable producers and is supported by many of Hawaiʻi’s most prominent chefs. To meet program standards, all fresh agricultural products must be entirely grown in Hawaii and meet applicable food safety requirements.
We will begin to apply the Seal of Quality on Hawaiian Hoodia ™ products, moringa seedlings, Hawaiʻi-sourced moringa seeds, and our other Hawaiʻi-grown, premium agricultural products when we resume sales operations. Our customers can be confident that products with this seal are genuine, Hawaii-grown or Hawaii-made premium products, a guarantee that is enforced by the State of Hawaiʻi.
 Hawai’i Seal of Quality Logo |
March 25, 2020
Closure of Online Store
With the implementation of mandatory social distancing, restrictions on all non-essential travel to reduce transmission of COVID-19, and our owner’s potential involvement in emergency response activities it has become impractical to continue order processing, obtain plant inspections at distant facilities and ship packages.
On the afternoon of March 25, 2020 we will close our online store until further notice.
March 19, 2020
Operations During the Coronavirus Crisis
We are open and will be continuing our onsite business and research operations as usual with additional measures to increase sanitation. Our owner-employees are in vulnerable age groups and must severely curtail travel and implement social distancing with any necessary outside contacts.
These constraints will impair our ability to ship some products. Non-certified plants, seeds and all shipments to international customers require travel to distant state or federal inspection facilities in Hilo and Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi. These shipments may be delayed indefinitely. Our certified plants such as Hoodia can be shipped without inspection from our local post office and we do not expect these to be delayed.
As of today (March 19, 2020) there was only one confirmed case of COVID-19 on our island and Hawaiʻi County has not required businesses here to close if measures to minimize risks to personnel and customers are taken. This is subject to change. Our founder is also a volunteer member of the Big Island Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and now on standby status for potential assignments with the Hawaii Department of Health.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
We wish you, and your family, health and safety at this challenging time.
Malama Pono (Take Care)
March 16, 2020
Warning – Website Spoofed: Contacts May Receive Fake Invoices
On March 16, 2020 we became aware that our website and contact list may have been hacked. The intruders have copied some of our information and are sending our contacts phishing e-mails that appear to be invoices and asking for payment. We do not send invoices to our customers by e-mail. If you received one of these invoices, they are fakes. Do not open the e-mail or click on the “DOWNLOAD-INVOICE” link. It may be malicious. Delete the e-mail.
Actions to further improve website security have now been completed. We regret any inconvenience this incident has brought to our customers and contacts.
February 12, 2020
Annual Meeting Announced
On Monday, March 2, 2020 the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of Sustainable Bioresources, LLC will be held at 10:00 am in the company’s offices in Discovery Harbour, Hawaii.
January 1, 2020
SALES OF OUR NEW HOODIA CULTIVARS WILL BEGIN ON NEW YEARS DAY 2020!!!
The first products of our ongoing Hoodia Research and Development Program that has involved 15 years of work and investment, about 10,000 test plants, and numerous experiments are finally here!
On January 1, 2020 our Hawaiian Hoodia™ Division will begin limited domestic and international sales of plants and offer the world’s largest inventory of seeds of our new improved cultivars of Hoodia gordonii and other Hoodia species. The plants will all be Certified Nursery Plants (CNP), grown exclusively in Hawaii in artificial cultivation, and according to the organic standards of the Certified Naturally Grown (CNP) program. These will be the first Hoodia cultivars with improved disease resistance and production characteristics ever offered. More information about these products is available on the Hoodia Research section of our website, which is currently under construction. Hawaiian Hoodia™ plants and seeds will be sold only through our Online Store under the terms of our Hawaiian Hoodia™ License Agreement.