- Natural - Beware of this label - it could mean just about anything, covers a wide plethora of items and has the least relevance. Don't be fooled.
- Organic - If it is Certified Organic, it will always carry the USDA Organic seal and say 'Certified Organic'. All our Organic teas on our site are Certified Organic.
- Non-GMO - although there is a separate certification for this, you should know that if any item is Certified Organic, it is automatically non-GMO. GMO's are NOT allowed in Organic products. GMO stands for genetically modified organisms.
- Fair Trade - Organic is focused on the soil and follows a specific method of agriculture. Fair Trade focuses on the people growing and manufacturing the item. A portion of your purchase price goes back directly to the workers of that company making that product. In our case, that would be to the workers of a particular tea estate. We carry a very large selection of teas that are Certified Fair Trade.
- Certified Humane - this is new and gradually becoming a requirement of reputed companies such as Whole Foods, and is focused on a more humane world for farm animals.
Annual Organic Inspection - Passed!
We are a Certified Organic company. What does that mean? It means an independent third-party accredited firm, authorized by the USDA, visits us once a year (which was yesterday) to make sure we follow all the requirements needed to be "certified" Organic. There is great ambiguity in the marketplace about the various terms - Natural, Organic, Non-GMO, Fair Trade, and I learned of a new one yesterday, Certified Humane. Here's a very quick overview: