Bioactive plant experts since 2004

Rooted in Science.
Designed for Success

Driving innovation in bioactive plants — from discovery and breeding through propagation and agrotechnical development to large-scale cultivation and commercial production.

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What we do

Bio assay guided – Our services

Plant Discovery

The extraordinary diversity and complex composition of bioactive plant compounds offers a virtually inexhaustible source for the development of novel and effective products.

Plant discovery is the process of identifying the most promising plant species for predefined indications or specific areas of application.

Our Plant Discovery team combines traditional knowledge with a deep understanding of the plant kingdom and modern scientific approaches. By integrating pharmacology and physiology, bioassay-guided screening, and phytochemical analysis, we identify and evaluate promising plant candidates for clearly defined indications and applications.

This interdisciplinary approach enables us to translate the biological potential of plants into scientifically validated opportunities for innovative product development.

Plant Discovery · Bioactive Plants · Bioassay-Guided Screening · Phytochemistry · Plant-Based Innovation

Plant Domestication

Our Plant Domestication team lays the foundation for transforming promising wild and underutilized species into reliable, commercially used crops. We make use of one of the greatest sources of complexity: the natural diversity within plant species. We source, authenticate and screen plant genetic resources from diverse origins. Agronomic performance, phytochemical profiles and bioactivity guide the identification of accessions with the desired characteristics.

Through systematic selection and breeding, we develop the most promising candidates into reliable, high-performing varieties. Our services also include variety registration and plant variety protection to help secure newly developed plant material and the associated intellectual property.

Our international network enables us to conduct multi-accession and multi-location trials under a wide range of growing conditions. We develop tailored cultivation systems -from propagation, site selection and crop management to mechanisation, harvesting and post-harvest processing. Pilot cultivation validates and refines these systems under near-commercial conditions before scale-up.

Beyond new crop development, we engage in improving established cultivation systems, troubleshooting constraints in ongoing cultivation and providing expert consultancy on agronomic and technical questions related to bioactive plants.

Sourcing · Breeding · Field Trials · Cultivation Development

Plant Production

Reliable supplies of bioactive plant materials require controlled and standardized production. Material sourced from the wild is often subject to fluctuations in availability and quality, offers limited traceability and may place increasing pressure on natural populations. Our Plant Production team therefore focuses on cultivation systems that deliver consistent volumes, reproducible quality and traceable production.

Our worldwide network combines established production sites with experienced long-term outgrowers across diverse climatic regions. This enables us to cultivate each crop under suitable growing conditions, respond flexibly to changing volume requirements and establish resilient supply chains.

We manage the entire production process - from production planning, multiplication of planting material and field establishment to crop management, harvesting, post-harvest processing, storage and delivery. Production is conducted according to crop-specific protocols and in compliance with GACP requirements. Grower training and regular field supervision ensure consistent implementation across all production locations.

Quality and traceability are maintained throughout the supply chain. Complete lot documentation records the origin, cultivation history and processing steps of each batch, while analyses in our in-house laboratory monitor key quality parameters.

This integrated approach enables us to supply botanical raw materials of verified identity and consistent quality across batches and outgrowers.

Large-Scale Production · Quality & Traceability · Global Production Network

Worldwide operations

A Global Network of
Research & Production

For more than two decades, bbi’s staff has successfully carried out research and production projects across both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, thereby establishing an extensive global network in the field of bioactive plants. Today, this network connects company-operated infrastructure with experienced long-term partners and includes contract research facilities, plant nurseries and quarantine facilities, experimental field stations, commercial production sites, processing facilities and warehouses.

bbi’s global activities are initiated, coordinated, supervised, and evaluated at the heart of this network—its headquarters in Romanshorn, Switzerland -which comprise offices, laboratories, experimental fields, and warehouse facilities.

Contract research facilities

Through many years of collaboration with leading experts in the fields of experimental pharmacology, bioassays, efficacy studies, and advanced analytical technologies, we have established a strong global network of scientific partners.

Our approach is built on trusted, long-term collaboration, combining the specialized expertise of our partners with our own scientific knowledge and experience to develop effective, high-quality solutions.

Field Stations

Five countries, three continents and a wide range of growing conditions: bbi’s experimental field stations in Switzerland, Albania, Uzbekistan, India and Kenya provide the infrastructure for testing and developing bioactive plants under diverse environments.

The field stations form the practical backbone of our agritechnical research and development activities. They serve as breeding nurseries and are used for preserving valuable plant genetic resources in living collections and providing space for accession screening, propagation studies, agrotechnical trials, pilot cultivation, harvesting and post-harvest processing.

Established partner sites expand this network to further environments and enable us to design trial programmes around the specific requirements of each crop and project.

Commercial Plant Production

bbi’s plant production activities extend across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, providing access to diverse growing environments, processing capabilities and supply routes. With more than 500 hectares under cultivation and annual production volumes exceeding 1,500 tonnes, bbi combines global reach with substantial production capacity.

At the core of this network are three dedicated subsidiaries: Bioactive Botanicals Kenya (BBK), Breeding Botanicals India (BB India) and Breeding Botanicals Uzbekistan (BBU). Their local teams manage cultivation projects directly on the ground while remaining closely connected to central project coordination and quality management in Switzerland.

A wider network of growers, processing partners and warehouses expands our production capacity and strengthens the flexibility and resilience of our supply network. Through this structure, bbi serves customers worldwide with authentic, traceable, and consistently high-quality botanical raw materials.

Our Story

Where
Pharmaceutical
Science meets
Agriculture

We bring together pharmaceutical biology and agricultural expertise to unlock the full potential of plants as sources of bioactive compounds.

Our scientific foundation lies in an in-depth understanding of medicinal plants, their biological effects, and their phytochemical composition. We combine this knowledge with expertise in plant breeding, cultivation development, and the commercial production of plants with defined profile of bioactive constituents.

By connecting pharmaceutical science with modern plant production, we take an integrated approach -from understanding the relationship between plant genetics, phytochemical profiles, and biological activity to developing optimized cultivation strategies and scalable production systems.

Who we are

The Founders

Dr. Bernd Büter

Founder · CEO

Bernd Büter is a founder and owner of bbi and acts as CEO and Chairman of the Board. As an all-rounder in the field of bioactive plants with more than 25 years of experience Bernd oversees the company’s activities in plant breeding, plant variety registration, biotechnology, propagation, multi- location field trials and commercial cultivation in temperate, subtropical and tropical climates. Previously, Bernd founded VitaPlant, Switzerland and served as its CEO. Prior to that he worked as a senior researcher at the ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich) where he also received his PhD.

Dr. Karin Berger

Founder · Director R&D

Karin Berger is a founder and owner of bbi and acts as Director R&D, responsible for all activities related to exploring the plant kingdom for new products for the feed, food, pharma and cosmetic sectors. Karin is a pharmaceutical biologist with extensive, 25- year experience and a truly broad background in pharmacognosy, phytochemistry and pharmacology. She is named inventor on several patents. In addition, she is a dedicated teacher with lecturing positions at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich and the School of Agricultural Sciences (HAFL) in Zollikofen/Bern.

Our Corporate Responsibilities

Our corporate responsibilities – social and ecological engagement

At bbi, sustainability, integrity, and responsibility guide how we work with plants, people and partners. We are committed to protecting biodiversity, building fair and transparent partnerships, respecting human rights, and creating lasting value in the regions where we operate. These principles guide our own activities and our cooperation with partners worldwide.

Fair Access & Benefit Sharing

Plant genetic resources have an origin, and their use comes with responsibility. bbi is committed to the principles of the Nagoya Protocol and to the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use.

We build our projects on transparent agreements and long-term cooperation. To put these principles into practice, we provide appropriate funding to our local partners and invest in knowledge transfer and capacity building. We also support the education and training of students and young scientists from
local, indigenous communities connected to the plant resources with which we work.

Biodiversity & Environmental Responsibility

Plant diversity is the foundation of our work. Protecting biodiversity and the ecosystems that sustain it is therefore a central commitment for bbi. We maintain living collections of valuable plant genetic resources and use screening and breeding programmes to bring this diversity into sustainable use. Many bioactive plants continue to be sourced from the wild. By developing reliable cultivation systems for these species, we help reduce pressure on natural populations and the risks of overharvesting and genetic erosion. Our cultivation approach is guided by the principles of Integrated Production, with a focus on healthy soils, efficient water use and the responsible application of fertilisers and crop-protection products.

Climate change directly affects the crops and production regions in which we work. Through multi-location testing, climate- adapted plant selection and resilient cultivation systems, we respond to changing growing conditions and help safeguarding future plant production. We also support organisations dedicated to conserving cultivated and medicinal plant diversity, including ProSpecieRara in Switzerland, ARCHE NOAH in Austria and the ENVIS Centre on Medicinal Plants in India.

People, Partnerships & Communities

Many of bbi’s activities are rooted in rural regions. By working with local teams and growers, our projects support employment, agricultural livelihoods and the development of regional expertise.

We respect internationally recognised human and labour rights. We reject child labour, forced labour and discrimination and promote fair and safe working conditions throughout our own operations and partner network.

Our social engagement also reaches beyond our agricultural activities. Examples include our support for the Sivaramji Blood Bank and Salem Citizen Forum in Tamil Nadu, India, as well as the establishment of a school serving a rural community in Laikipia County, Kenya.

Our Portfolio

Plant Materials

We cultivate and develop an extensive and diverse portfolio of bioactive plants and extracts for pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, plant protection and feed applications.

Our experience extends far beyond the plant materials presented below. Looking for a plant material not listed? Get in touch with us to discuss your project.

Latin name / Common name
  • Aloe vera Aloe Vera
  • Andrographis paniculata King of Bitters
  • Arnica montana Mountain Arnica
  • Artemisia annua Sweet Wormwood
  • Atropa belladonna Deadly Nightshade
  • Bixa orellana Annatto
  • Boswellia serrata Indian Frankincense
  • Calendula officinalis Pot Marigold
  • Camellia sinensis Tea Plant
  • Carum carvi Caraway
  • Catharanthus roseus Madagascar Periwinkle
  • Chamomilla recutita German Chamomile

Start a conversation

Let's Grow Together

Whether you need custom plant materials, extract development, or cultivation consulting — our team is ready to discuss your project.

E-Mail
info@bb-international.ch

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