Our Mission
SUSTAINABLE SOURCING
Our objective is to continually increase the volumes of sustainably sourced botanicals. We define sustainably sourced botanicals as those that are certified organic, Fair Trade certified, or sourced from our Well Earth partners. We are committed to increasing the amount of sustainably sourced crops we purchase every year from more than 50 countries around the world. Agriculture has a significant impact on the quality and availability of water, climate change, biodiversity and soil quality. There are also unfair labor practices and small farmers’ rights problems around the world. We believe that sustainable and organic crop production are imperatives for creating a healthy and just world.
SOURCING
One of the sustainability values championed our co-op partner is “impact sourcing” — purchasing our botanical products in a way that creates a positive impact on people and communities. Our purchases from co-ops and other socially and environmentally responsible sources help support and spread the positive values of their businesses. We continually seek out opportunities to invest in sources that create social and environmental value. Beyond that, our partners provide grants for infrastructure and business training, invest time and share our years of expertise to help responsible suppliers meet our requirements and those of certification agencies.
OUR PARTNERS
Our partners have proactive programs to find and develop ethical sources of high-quality botanical products. Focusing on business building (improving suppliers’ infrastructure and product quality) and community building (investing funds in supplier communities in-country), they have provided more than $1.5 million to fund projects since the program’s inception. These include investing in organic crop trials in India and the US, expanding organically cultivated land in the US, providing training to help organic and fair trade suppliers work more efficiently in India and Sri Lanka, building and funding schools in Madagascar and Vietnam, bringing clean water to communities in Africa and Asia, funding a dental clinic in Guatemala, and providing training to farmers and growers in the United States. We also invest in infrastructure and continue to support growth in sustainable agricultural practices. For example, we help suppliers improve their processing capabilities and train staff.
ORGANIC CERTIFIED
Organic products are at the heart of our sustainable sourcing efforts. We believe organic agriculture is a crucial element in building a safe and sustainable international food supply and that the basic values of organic agriculture — concern for people and the environment — are crucial to the well being of us all.
What is Organic?
For many people, the word “organic” means “without chemicals” — but that’s not entirely true. Organic products, which include a standard for non-GMO, must be grown on land that has not had synthetic fertilizers, growth regulators, insecticides, or herbicides applied to it for a minimum of three years. This is one of many conditions that must be met by organic growers and manufacturers in order to meet the federal government standards for organic certification. But there’s more to it than that. The values of organic agriculture extend well beyond the rules governing certification. Organic farmers are committed to the health and well being of workers, the environment, and consumers. They work continually to restore, maintain and enhance the environment, respecting the delicate balance of nature and the integrity of the products being cultivated. They are advocates of sustainable agriculture — growing practices that enrich the land for the crops of the future rather than deplete it. As the National Organic Standards Board explains it, the goal of organic agriculture is “to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.”
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
Thankfully, most herbs and spices are not in danger of industrial genetic modification, so organic certification is our go-to for insuring that our herbal goodies are grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, GMO seed stock, or irradiation. Taking this commitment one step further, we also have products verified through the Non-GMO Project! Many of the products on this list have been chosen for this certification because they are produced from plant crops that are known to be at risk of GMO contamination.
What’s the deal with GMOs? Conventional farms not using organic methods may use genetically modified seeds that are engineered to be pest-resistant and easily grown in poor soil. Genetic engineering is an experimental practice, so we don’t yet know the full impact of growing these plants, but the rise of new “superweeds,” more resilient pests, and diseases have been reported. There are other fears that GMO crops can harm non-target species such as insects, birds, bats, and animals that forage from these conventional farms.
As fear continues to mount over the long-term health effects of GMOs, more and more consumers fight for their right to know what’s in their food. Without thorough testing, the safety of genetically modified food is unnervingly questionable. The limited safety tests that are currently in place are often conducted by the very companies that use GMO ingredients. This reason alone illustrates the importance of transparency.
Non-irradiation, non-ETO, and other prohibited ingredients
Herb, spice and other food ingredients we source for our products must meet strict standards we have defined for individual ingredients. Our product standard covers post-harvest treatment and processing. We do not purchase any herbs or spices that have been treated with irradiation or chemicals such as ethylene oxide (ETO), and there are a number of other ingredients and processes that are not allowed.