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home ›   tip library ›   Sep 23,2008

Are you crazy about tea?

The Bite:

March like a hare to your kitchen, and make some Tulsi tea, a new USDA certified organic brew from India. Aka "holy basil," Tulsi tea has been sipped by peeps in India for more than 5,000 years for its rejuvenating and immune boosting effects, not to mention its minty-fresh taste. A superantioxidant that's soothing too, the original Tulsi tea might just keep you sane, even when you're feeling mad as a hatter.

Company Background

Since the 1990s, Organic India has been working with farmers to help establish sustainable farming practices. Case in point: In Azamgarh, a region in Northern India notorious for environmental degradation, Organic India has converted more than 592,000 acres into USDA certified organic land, meaning crops are grown without pesticides, using crop rotation and organic fertilizers to keep the soil viable, year after year. And now, Organic India is producing herbs, supplements, and organic psyllium formulas in addition to its 18 Tulsi teas.

Why Care?

• Organic India is the largest certified organic company in India, and all of its products, including Tulsi tea, are USDA certified organic.
• Organic India funds international organic certifications for its farmers, providing them with training, seeds, irrigation systems, and ongoing education .
• The Organic India Foundation provides free health care to about 1,100 patients each month in the village of Azamgarh.

• About 1,200 widowed women, who would normally be considered outcasts in Indian culture, assist with labor at the farms and factories. 

• Organic India farmers rotate between growing organic crops for the company and for themselves.

Keeping It Real

While Tulsi teas are USDA certified organic and grown in accordance to sustainable and biodynamic farming principles, it's grown in India and shipped around the world, which adds up in terms of miles traveled. Still, Regional Sales Manager Gina Coccari says, "The larger we get, the further we expand our vision of truly sustainable agriculture. We would like to reach even more farmers and teach them organic farming methods to support themselves and the global community."