Congratulations Numi Tea

09 Oct 2011 By World Tea News OAKLAND, Calif. Numi Organic Tea is the nation’s leading brand importer of Fair Trade certified tea and tisanes, according to Fair Trade USA. The announcement is in celebration of Fair Trade Month and recognizes the worldwide program to guarantee that farmers are paid a fair wage for their labor. Growers certified under the program receive a community development premium that can be used to improve education, roads, schools, product quality and healthcare. While a part of Fairtrade International (FLO) Fair Trade USA certified more than 9,500 products in the United States offered by more than 700 industry partners at more than 60,000 retail locations. The organization recently split from European-based FLO to create its own program. The certifier cited examples such as the Dazhangshan Organic Tea Farmer Association in China which was able to purchase new tea processing equipment to improve the quality of its tea and the living conditions of its members. “Members of the association, nearly 35 percent of which are women, now make nearly 20 percent more than other families in the area,” according to Fair Trade USA. In honor of Fair Trade Month, Numi asks consumers to take a deeper look into what goes in their shopping cart – and their teacup, says Ahmed Rahim, CEO and Co-Founder of Numi "From our humble beginnings in 1999, we have made it a major part of our mission to source from suppliers who believe in not just Organic farming but in ethically supporting their workers through Fair Trade initiatives,” says Rahim. The result is access to healthcare, higher wages, better education, homes, roads and overall, a more balanced quality of life, he says. "It is exciting to see Numi Organic Tea grow in market share while maintaining its strong relationship with its tea growers and deep commitment to Fair Trade," said Paul Rice, President & CEO of Fair Trade USA. "In addition to the far-reaching benefits of Numi's Fair Trade purchases, the company has made it possible for consumers to find Fair Trade tea at thousands of retailers throughout the country and make a real difference with every cup they drink." Numi Organic Tea purchases more Fair Trade Certified tea than any other U.S. brand. With more than half of their blends (and 80 percent of the raw ingredients purchased) bearing the Fair Trade Certified label, Numi is proudly dedicated to the Fair Trade system that helps workers earn fair wages across the world. Numi’s Fair Trade imports are projected in 2011 to grow by more than 75 percent over 2010. Numi is also working on a new social certification called Fair Labor Practices, which ensures a level of social responsibility that directly benefits workers, their families and their communities. Fair Labor Practices can certify all crops in all countries, farms of all sizes, domestically and internationally. It audits every step of the supply chain from farm to cup, including domestic operations. During this process, Numi has funded social, economic, and environmental development projects in the villages where the ancient Pu-erh tea trees exist. Numi Organic Pu-erh Teas will be the first product line to bear the Fair Labor Practices label. To learn more please visit http://numitea.com/people/fair-trade-certified/ or join Numi's "communitea" at https://www.facebook.com/numitea. Source: Numi Organic Tea, Fair Trade USA