Sourcing Tea With Purpose

Written by Jamie Horst of Traditional Medicinals

At Traditional Medicinals, we believe that medicinal plants hold power to create change. We validate this belief by sourcing quality herbs and blending teas that have an ethical, positive impact on people and the planet.

To continue providing accessible botanical wellness for the world, we need to maintain a supply of high-quality herbs. This requires investing in the ecosystems where these plants thrive—and the people that steward them. We support the ecosystem through certifications like organic and FairWild®, and we work hand in hand with the farmers and collectors who harvest and forage our herbs around the world, to build deep and lasting relationships.

Our relationship with our farming community in Rajasthan, India, is especially deep and meaningful. For more than 15 years, we have supported programs for women and girls in the farming communities where we source senna for our Smooth Move® teas. Rajasthan, India, is one of the driest places on earth, where temperatures in the Thar Desert can reach as high as 122°F. Local farmers rely upon drought-resistant native plants like senna—the active ingredient in our Smooth Move teas—for their livelihoods. While senna may be drought-tolerant, rural villagers struggle daily with the lack of water. Women and girls walk up to ten hours daily to community ponds to provide water for their families, crops and livestock.

After witnessing these conditions and sitting with women in their kitchens and around their cooking fires, we heard a vision they had for a different future.

With support from our non-profit partner WomenServe and the Traditional Medicinals Foundation, these communities have desilted and expanded large community ponds, dug and rebuilt agricultural rainwater catchment systems, and constructed underground rainwater catchments, called taankas, for families in need. In 2020, these changes saved women and girls in these communities an estimated 318,000 hours of walking. With access to water, entire communities are transforming, and women and girls are the greatest beneficiaries. Free from the physical burden and the daily anxiety of providing water for their families, women are becoming empowered village leaders and entrepreneurs, and girls are attending school.

Some might think of our support as “giving back”. But for us, it's the way we do business. We can only succeed when everyone in our value chain is thriving. With your support, we continue to expand the reach of authentic and effective herbal remedies. We are committed to ensuring that our presence in our sourcing communities is equitable and supports their vision for what is possible for their communities. Thank you for joining us on this bold journey we are taking together.

Jamie Horst is Traditional Medicinals' Chief Purpose Officer. She leads the purpose practice including environmental and social sustainability efforts, in addition to managing risk assessment, Zero Waste Project, regenerative and carbon strategy, and supply chain data management.