Organic Processing Vo1.9 #2 - March/April 2012

that pu-erh is fermented for up to 60 days, allowing beneficial microbes/probiotics to develop that have been shown to help lower cholesterol, break down fat and aid in digestion. Numi was the first to bring an entire line of this tea to the international market, and thus there was no fair trade certification available.

To stay true to the company’s vision, Numi not only worked with pu-erh farmers to help them convert to organic, providing training and covering certification costs, but they also worked with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) and other partners to create a standard from scratch called Fair Labor Practices and Community Benefits. SCS also created Starbucks C.A.F.É. Practices and the Forest Stewardship Council standards.

“The fair labor standard is our
playbook, our guide
for continuous

Once created, the standard was put through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) process where it was publicly evaluated. Several companies, including Maggie’s Organic Clothing, also adopted the standard.

While fair trade standards are focused on increasing economic stability at the farm level, Numi’s fair labor standard looks at how workers are treated throughout the entire supply chain, ensuring both fair wages and other worker rights. “It addresses many civil rights that we take for granted that are not always a given in other countries— lunch breaks, eight-hour days, time off, etc.,” points out Reem. It ensures that first aid kits, earplugs and masks are available when needed.

Also, with this standard, organic certification is a prerequisite. “Organic ensures that workers are not exposed to harmful pesticides—this is an important step to making sure they are healthy and safe,” says Durkee.

Overall, Numi invested at least $50,000 in getting this off the ground, much of which was advances to suppliers. However, since SCS is a standards creation company and not a standards marketing company, the certification has not been adopted by many. To keep the standard alive, Numi is in the process of acquiring it from SCS, applying it to their supply chain, and possibly opening it up to others

”improvement.”

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