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Why We’re Not Certified Organic, And Why That’s Okay

Preparation by Ushma
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People often ask us: if your spices come from Meghalaya, why aren't they certified organic? Here is our honest answer. Our products are not USDA Organic certified, and we do not market them as organic. This page explains why, and what we focus on instead.

Farming in Meghalaya

Farmers in Meghalaya, in Northeast India, have grown crops like turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon using traditional methods for generations, often on small plots and worked by hand. We chose to source from this region because of the flavor and character of what grows there: Golden Lakadong Turmeric, Natural Makhir Ginger, Aromatic 3Hills Cinnamon, and more.

So, Why No Organic Certification?

1. Certification is expensive and complicated. Organic certification requires inspections, detailed record-keeping, and ongoing compliance with a certifying body. For small farmers in rural areas, that is a heavy financial and administrative burden, and most of our spices come direct from these farmers.

2. We would rather be specific. Instead of leaning on a label, we describe what we know: where each spice comes from, that most come direct from the farmer, and that each product is a single, simple ingredient.

3. A label is not the whole story. What matters to us is transparency about origin and ingredients, so you can decide for yourself.

What We Focus on Instead

  • Single-origin ingredients. Our six single-origin spices are from Meghalaya.
  • Short ingredient lists. Our single-origin products contain one ingredient.
  • Direct relationships. Most of our spices come direct from the farmer, and a couple come via a supplier.

FAQs

Are your products certified organic?
No. Humble Origins products are not USDA Organic certified.

Why not pay for the certification?
The cost and paperwork are heavy for small farms. We would rather keep costs fair for farmers and for you.

Will you ever pursue certification?
We stay open to it if it makes sense for our farmers and customers. For now, our focus is on transparency about origin and ingredients.

Where can I learn more about your sourcing?
See About Us, or shop our single-origin superfoods.

At Humble Origins Superfoods, we believe in telling you plainly what we know about our spices.