Wild herbs and botanicals are becoming a formalized industry in Kosovo, thanks to Uncle Sam. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding a project called Kosovo Business Support (KBS), which provides a range of services to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the region. It is being executed jointly by two organizations, Chemonics International and Winrock International.
The Balkans hosts a rich variety of medicinal herbs that grow wild in the mountains. Over 800 have been identified, and 70 have commercial potential. While local tea companies now utilize herbs, they must import the very materials that grew in their backyard, for lack of a domestic industry to gather and dry them. Additionally, they are paying stiff import duties.