Organic producers aim to farm good food from a balanced living soil. Strict regulations, known as standards, define what they can and can't do. They place strong emphasis on protecting the environment, the producer and the consumer.

All of our products are certified as Organic. To label food and drink as "Organic", the law requires that it is certified by a body such as the Soil Association. The Soil Association inspect and certify our production and storage facilities and processes. Going beyond the legal requirements for organic food, the Soil Association rules also cover areas such as the environmental impact of packaging and the employment conditions of workers. Our own brand products are certified by the Soil Association, products from other brands may be certified by different bodies (see the product label for details).

We decided to only sell organic certified products as part of our commitment to running an ethical business. While there is often debate over the impact of artificial pesticides & fertilisers on end consumers, our main motivation to become certified was the welfare and environment of the producers. Tea and coffee is mainly grown in areas of high environmental sensitivity, and there is little argument over the effects of intensive agriculture on the local eco-systems in such areas. When pesticides, fertilisers and other agrochemicals are used in the UK, the farmers and workers using them are subject to strict Health and Safety rules and given the necessary protective equipment to minimise the risk to themselves. In the third world such rules do not exist or are not enforced. Protective equipment is often not available or prohibitively expensive, and where it is available it is often badly maintained. This leaves workers vulnerable to exposure to very high levels of these substances, many times higher than end consumers will be exposed to.

For more information on organic coffee, see the BBC h2g2 guide. For more information about organic food in general, and the processes involved in our certification, visit the Soil Association website.