“For a company to use the Fairtrade certification label on a product, all parts of the supply chain must meet Fairtrade Standards from the small-scale farmers producing the raw product, to the company producing it,” Kyle Freund, media manager at Fairtrade America, which licenses the global Fairtrade System label, told us.
These standards include employing only small-scale producers in the supply chain and guaranteeing an equal distribution of profits among producers, as well as equal or higher salaries than the regional average of hired workers, among other things.
The certifying organization is one of several that audit companies and grant seals based on how a company addresses worker justice and supply chain transparency, especially in the Global South (this includes Fair for Life and Naturland Fair).
Organic India employs 266 small-scale farmers in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh—where the Taj Mahal is located—to supply the company’s raw material.
In fact, according to Fairtrade America, Organic India went ‘above and beyond the Fairtrade Standards.’
“Organic India pays the Fairtrade and organic certification fees for the farmers they work with, which is not required by the Fairtrade Standards,” Freund said.
“They also provide training in regenerative agriculture practices and support various community projects, including regular health clinics, marketable skills training, solar lamps, water pumps and pond desilting.”
Products that will bear the Fairtrade seal include: Tulsi (Holy Basil), Ceylon Cinnamon, Ginger, and Trikatu—a blend of two types of pepper (Piper longum and Piper nigrum) and ginger.
“From our inception, we have sought a better way to do business, using the global marketplace as a tool to create a positive impact on the farmers, our communities and our planet. We operate every day with our values leading the way,” Organic India’s CEO Kyle Garner told us.
“With the strong market growth and interest in nutritional supplements, it’s great to see Organic India sharing their sustainability story with consumers and supporting small-scale farmers,” said Hans Theyer, executive director at Fairtrade America, in a press release.
Freund added that the organization has several supplement companies that are in the process of getting certified, and he is starting to see more interest from other supplement companies who are exploring certification.