Our Story Begins with a Doctor and a Berry
Driven by science, inspired by nature; a global nutrition pioneer and a powerful berry came together to create PhyterBerry: a better way to support modern health, and modern soil.
Meet Our Scientific Farmer - Dr. Steve Collins, MBE, PhyterBerry Co-Founder
Pioneering a Global Paradigm Shift in the Treatment of Malnutrition
Steve has spent more than 30 years working on the frontlines of famine and humanitarian crises. He developed a community-based method for treating malnutrition that became the global gold standard, saving millions of lives. (See Valid Nutrition)
A New Purpose Rooted in the Land
Following the intensity of this work, he retreated to a West Cork hill farm. He applied his scientific, evidence based approach, that had worked so well in famine relief and his nutritional expertise, to identify crops that could nourish people and planet. He found aronia berries and the beginning of a new mission: to support a population facing a different kind of malnutrition, one driven by processed diets and chronic lifestyle-related health challenges.
A personal note from our Scientific Farmer on why integrity, science and nutrition matter more than ever.
Creating Demand, Driving Change
Discovering Aronia's Bigger Potential
When Steve first discovered aronia’s extraordinary polyphenol content and its suitability for thriving organically on marginal soils, he recognised two things: its potential to improve health at scale, and its promise as a sustainable alternative for upland Irish farmers, seeking to diversify away from intensive grass-based farming.
He realised the potential of aronia to improve metabolic health was analagous to his experience with treating malnutrition with plant based therapeutic foods in Africa and Asia. There, he worked with communities to create an understanding of malnutrition and to generate demand for nutritious products that could bring children back to health. At the same time, pioneering the manufacture of these products close to where they were needed, created reliable markets for new ingredients, encouraging farmers to diversify their crops so they could become more resilient to climate change.
Driving Change Through Demand
That experience is the foundation of PhyterBerry; Steve knows that consumers need evidence-based information before making positive dietary changes. He also understands that farmers need the assurance of a guaranteed market before they change how they farm. PhyterBerry develops effective, evidence-based products that both support people’s metabolic health and create dependable markets for Irish farmers transitioning to more sustainable agriculture.
Organic Values from Global Experience
Steve’s commitment to organic, regenerative farming comes from witnessing first-hand how environmental degradation and climate instability devastate vulnerable communities in Africa.
On his West Cork proof-of-concept farm, Steve grows organically and experiments with different regenerative ways to harness aronia’s natural resilience to encourage biodiversity, improve soil fertility and maximise polyphenol content. This helps Steve support new growers of aronia who share these values and ensures that every PhyterBerry product starts with practices that nourish both people and planet.
If you're a farmer curious about growing aronia, please get in touch with Steve's farm. We offer guidance, support, and a path to market.
From Vision to Vitality - Paul Murphy, PhyterBerry Co-Founder
It takes more than a great idea; it takes a partner who can bring it to life.
From Malnutrition to Market Innovation
Paul is an experienced business leader with a background in marketing and brand development. He spent 27 years at Unilever in a variety of senior local and international roles, including leading the company's operations in Ireland. For the last 15 years, Paul has worked closely with Steve as Chief Executive of his Irish charity, Valid Nutrition; driving innovation to reform the global market for foods to treat starvation.
Scaling with Purpose
Paul's long-standing collaboration with Steve is rooted in shared values; a belief in practical action, the importance of nutrition, and creating systems that work in the real world. At PhyterBerry, Paul brings the commercial expertise and strategic leadership needed to turn powerful ideas into purposeful, high-quality products that make a difference at scale.
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