OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In celebration of Fair Trade Month and Fair Trade USA’s 20th anniversary, Numi Organic Tea, a premium tea brand and leading purchaser of Fair Trade Certified™ teas and herbs in the U.S., is highlighting its 14-year partnership with Fair Trade USA and enduring commitment to its global tea farming communities.
- Numi’s new Impact Report highlights the company’s achievements, from expansion of Together for H2OPE programs in India, South Africa, and Egypt to its ethical sourcing commitment, sustainable packaging, and environmental footprint reduction.
- A new video celebrates Numi’s enduring commitment to direct, ethical sourcing from like-minded partners. Learn more about Numi’s impact-driven work around the globe at NumiTea.com/CommuniTeaMatters.
- A virtual reality experience, launching in November on the Google Expeditions app, takes us on a journey to Numi's Fair Trade tea growing partners in China, educating viewers on the journey of Fair Trade tea from farm to cup and emphasizing the positive impact the company has had in partnership with their global farming communities.
- On store shelves nationwide, Numi has launched packaging updates celebrating the consumer’s choice to support positive impact by purchasing ethically-sourced products.These updates highlight the benefits of Fair Trade, Fair Labor, and Together for H2OPE.
“As Fair Trade USA members since the early days, Numi has always shared the organization’s commitment to supporting and uplifting our farming communities around the globe,” said Ahmed Rahim, co-founder of Numi Organic Tea. “As a founding B-Corp and OSC2 member, creator of the third-party verified Fair Labor certification, and through our Numi Foundation work, we have built social and environmental responsibility into our legacy since day one. We look to build partnerships and personal bonds throughout our supply chain and Fair Trade is one of the most effective tools we have to achieve that goal.”
Fair Trade certification means that, in addition to ensuring fair wages for all workers, Numi Organic Tea pays farmers specified fair prices for their ingredients, plus an annual Fair Trade premium that farmers elect to spend on improving social, economic, and environmental conditions in their communities. Since partnering with Fair Trade USA, Numi has contributed more than $1 million in premiums supporting Fair Trade Cooperatives around the world.
At Dazhangshan Tea Cooperative in Wuyuan, China, the source for Numi’s Jasmine Green Tea, the community used some of its Fair Trade premium to support younger generations through education. The community development fund has been used to build school dormitories, purchase materials, and provide scholarships.
“Our partnership with Numi has been very important to us, especially since Numi has been our biggest collaborator so far,” said Peng Hong, chairman at Dazhangshan Organic Food Company. “After knowing more about the Fair Trade organization, we realized it would help our farmers improve their lives while also increasing tea production.”
A new video celebrates Numi’s longstanding commitment to direct, meaningful partnerships and ethical sourcing with a true story about what happens when businesses and consumers connect to foster thriving communities. Numi takes viewers behind the scenes of Dazhangshan Tea Cooperative, the first organic tea cooperative in China and the largest Fair Trade cooperative in the country. The video, which is available now at NumiTea.com/CommuniTeaMatters, will debut at Fair Trade USA’s 20th Anniversary Celebration in New York City on October 3rd.
Numi has also produced an interactive virtual reality experience for Google Expeditions. Dive deep into every step of producing a cup of Numi tea, from the history of the region to the importance of organic farming and Fair Trade to processing and manufacturing. The virtual reality tour lets viewers experience the journey of tea from farm to cup.
“Our tea farms are at the heart of our business. In fact, 89% of our ingredients can be traced back directly to the farm level, whether it’s our green tea partners at Dazhangshan, our rooibos growers in South Africa, our turmeric farmers in Madagascar, and beyond,” said Brian Durkee, president, Numi Organic Tea. “We’re grateful to consumers who understand that when they purchase Numi Organic Teas, they’re buying into something much bigger than a cup of tea. They’re buying into a movement that creates positive, direct impact at the farm level. They’re buying into a brand that, for nearly 20 years, has gone above and beyond to create direct sustainable partnerships that benefit people and planet.”
Learn more about Numi’s commitment to Fair Trade and sustainable business practices in its newest Impact Report. Highlights include:
- Through responsible packaging choices, Numi has conserved the equivalent of 3,000 BTUs of net energy, 4 million gallons of water, and 317,000 lbs of waste
- Numi Foundation’s Together for H2OPE program has supplied 1,150 households with filters for safe drinking water in Assam, India
- In 2017, Numi Organic Tea offset 1,184,764 pounds of CO2 emissions
- Throughout Numi’s farming communities, 14,370 people have been supported with Fair Trade and Fair Labor
- Numi made $380,825 in social business investments during 2017
NUMI ORGANIC TEA
Founded in 1999 by brother and sister team Ahmed Rahim (the alchemist) and Reem Rahim (the artist), Numi Organic Tea is a purveyor of premium quality organic, non-GMO and Fair Trade CertifiedTM teas and herbal teasans. Numi blends its organic bagged and loose leaf teas with only real herbs, fruits, flowers, and spices—not unnecessary “natural” flavorings or perfumes. All Numi products are packaged in recycled-content containers and non-GMO tea bags and are available in retail outlets in more than 55 countries worldwide and online at NumiTea.com. An award-winning social enterprise, Public Benefit Corporation and founding B Corporation member, Numi supports community development projects worldwide. To learn more, visit NumiTea.com and follow Numi at Instagram.com/NumiOrganicTea, Facebook.com/NumiTea, Pinterest.com/NumiTea and Twitter.com/NumiTea.
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A video accompanying this release is available at
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Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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