SOURCING PROJECT

Tradin Organic has launched a new Child Protection Program for our cocoa farming communities in Sierra Leone...

Our organic goji berries are grown on the plains of the Tibetan Plateau and are aiding communities and desert erosion.

“Cocoa is very important to me and my family, I don’t grow any other crop, apart from some fruit trees. Over the last couple of years cocoa prices have risen, so I have been able to improve my house and send one of my daughters to university. Next year she will graduate.”

As Tradin Organic, we support the sustainable development of local farmers communities in Ethiopia that produce organic certified avocados for our avocado oil factory.

There is only one uniformly black chia variety and it is grown in the Northern Highlands of Nicaragua. Here, our heirloom chia is cultivated and harvested on hill sides and valley floors in much the same way as it has been for generations. Chia cultivation is a labor-intensive practice, carried out by hand with traditional and organic methods. A variety of nitrogen-fixing beans, a staple of the local diet, are rotated with chia for cover crop and to promote soil regeneration. The result is a unique chia seed, grown to its optimal nutritional profile while preserving an important, sustainable ancient tradition. Our chia is produced by indigenous and women’s groups in the areas around Nicaragua’s ecologically sensitive rain forest, the second largest in the Western Hemisphere. Together with these farming communities, we work to address rural poverty and environmental degradation through sustainable agriculture. Our organic chia project provides income to many small-scale farmers, and we assist them in adopting organic practices, increasing yields, and improving their quality of life.

With organic cocoa beans from 10 origins and our own coca processing facility, organic cocoa is one of our most important and fascinating products.

Our organic citrus juice suppliers in South Africa are truly passionate about growing organic citrus in a sustainable way. The organic citrus farmers have developed a clever way to improve the health of their soils while growing delicious organic citrus. This ingenious system involves a closed cycle and lots of manure. The farmers grow lucerne (alfalfa) as a forage crop. Part of the lucerne is fed to the cows that live on the farm and these four-legged employees also eat the left over citrus pulp and peels from the processing of the citrus juice. The cows are in charge of producing manure, a key ingredient for compost. The manure from the cattle is added to compost which is then used as an organic fertilizer for the citrus plantations. The compost helps to add nutrients to the soil and restore the soil quality in a natural way. This closed-loop system helps to keep waste to a minimum and promotes soil health.

Did you know that organic ginger is helping to protect the Amazonian rainforest? Meet our supplier of organic ginger from Peru. Their farmers grow organic ginger in the Pichanaqui-Junín region and are passionate about protecting the rainforest. For many years, conventional farmers in this region have used slash-and-burn agriculture to grow their crops and even today precious parts of the Amazon rainforest are lost due to this destructive practice. Our sourcing partner in Peru is dedicated to put a halt to slash-and-burn and to protect what is left of the rainforest. Our supplier provides training and technical support to their organic farmers to help them manage the soil fertility of their farms. The farmers apply different organic and biodynamic fertilizers to reintroduce organic matter into the soil. Additionally, they use a crop rotation system to help the soil to regenerate its nutrients in a natural way. These production practices require a lot of hard work and commitment to the environment but the farmers understand the rewards of their efforts. With proper organic soil management, the soil remains fertile for many years and it is no longer necessary to claim new farmland by cutting down and burning the rainforest.

We source our organic turmeric from South East Asia, where it has been used as a food dye and traditional medicine for centuries. Our organic turmeric farmers grow their turmeric on the hills and plateaus of Myanmar. Relying mostly on manual labor for weeding and harvesting, our farmers cultivate their organic turmeric in a traditional manner, providing more labor for local farmers and workers. Our local sourcing project has over 10 years of experience with organic crop production. The project provides pre-financing to the farmers as well as transportation of the harvested crop, meaning that each load of organic turmeric can be traced straight back to the farmer. After harvest and collection, our organic turmeric is locally processed into tasty and nutritious turmeric juice and powder. The organic turmeric is providing benefits for farmers and their families due to the organic premium received with organic certification. Our farmers also receive trainings and field visits from specialists of local agricultural universities to help to improve their crop and boost their income. In addition, our project supplies stationary to local village schools to support the education of the turmeric farmers’ children.