TEAS, ROOIBOS & SPICES S I N C E 1 9 9 4
EDITORIAL M ilitant involvement, rigour and creativity are the three values which guide us more than ever in our choices and projects in a fast-changing market. At a time when the big multi-nationals have a greater and greater sway over countries and political institutions, imposing a narrow and impove- rished vision of the world on us, we must be more vigilant than ever. Greenwashing and fairwashing are new terms for the underhand tactics that could continue indefjnitely if the established organic and fair trade players take their eye ofg the ball. There is a huge temptation in a market where supply cannot meet demand. It is increasingly common to see major food, fjnance or distribution conglomerates seeking to benefjt from a facade of respectability by using a labelling policy not backed up by real commitment and sometimes even with totally contradictory practices. But marketing has its limitations. We believe that the consumer knows how to sort the wheat from the chafg, even if sometimes it seems everything is being done to cover things up. Consumers are making stronger and stronger calls for guarantees, transparency and also real values. The organic and fair trade movements originate from a collection of individuals linked by their strong convictions. It is these convictions which must continue to guide us and, in the words of Pierre Rabhi, each of us must play our part. A farmer, writer and French thinker, Rabhi is one of the pioneers of ecological agriculture in France. He advocates a way of life which is more respectful to people and to the earth and supports the development of agricultural practices which are accessible to everyone, especially the poorest. We are also reaffjrming our commitment to agriculture on a human scale by starting to work this year with family tea gardens in Japan, a farmers' organisation comprised solely of women in Burkina Faso and small tea producers in Nepal. Following developments in fair trade, we have resolved to join WFTO*. As part of this pioneering association, we can be really active in participatory fair trade that best refmects the reality of our work on the ground. Finally we have our new packaging. We have taken particular care with materials and we have a pared-down new design, to minimise the impact we make on the environment while demonstrating our creativity. This major redesign is a way of reaffjrming our position as a long-term player in an increasingly competitive market in our area of expertise. The range of classic products presented in this catalogue, including "Les essentiels", "Thés & Rooibos Militants", our new "Wellness" infusions, bestsellers and seasonal products, is now a reference point for our products. To help tea lovers make their choice, we have published a complementary catalogue which brings together "Les Prémiums" and "Les Rares & Précieux" ranges. The sales department is at your disposal to guide you in your choices and advise you depending on what you are looking for. Please do get in touch! We are right there alongside you and we want to supply good quality, beautiful fair trade products and to defend the values that we have upheld since the very beginning, in the clearest and most transparent way possible. May this year be one of ethical commitment, informed decisions for the earth and man and many meetings and fun times around a teapot... *World Fair Trade Organisation (info on page 9). Founder of Les Jardins de Gaïa 3
Gaïa ovfrvjew KEY NUMBERS The largest range of organically grown and fair trade teas in Europe. Over 300 tons of tea and herbal 100% of our products are organically tea sold each year, 70% of which are grown (except for our lapacho, which is wild harvested). fmavoured on our premises. Partnered with over 40 projects in 70 % of our teas and rooibos are from fair France and throughout the world, in favor of trade. small producers and sustainable development. About 32% of our ingredients come More than 75 permanent employees . from small producers. Over 1,700 sales outlets in France About 10% of our products originate and internationally. from biodynamic agriculture. Over 300 tea accessories in our shop. Our teas are sold in about 20 countries. KEY DATES 1994 : Creation of Les Jardins de Gaïa. The beginning of a human adventure in search of large organic teas worldwide. 1994 : First organic and Demeter certifjcation of a tea garden (Selimbong, Darjeeling, India). 1996 : Sale of the 1 st rooibos from Wupperthal (South Africa). 1997 : The 1st groups of SOFA's co-op are certifjed organic . Meeting with Sarath Ranaweera (Sri Lanka). 1998 : Sale of the 1 st organic Chinese teas – Da Zhang Shan. Selimbong (India) is certifjed demeter . Zen garden and terrace. 1999 : Sale of the 1 st organic Japanes teas – Unknown on the French market. 2001: 1 st Fair Trade labels (Max Havelaar). 2004 : Creation of the Tea House and the Japanese gardens. Head offjce of Les Jardins de Gaïa and all its stafg move to the current premises in Wittisheim, Alsace. 2006 : Collaboration with Van Chan (Vietnam) and creation of the Wild Tea logo. 2009 : Creation of the Trust Organic Small Farmers logo. 2011 : Distribution of spices under the brand Terra Madre. 2013 : Launching of the range Thés & Rooibos Militants . We win the award for " company with great potential " by the CCI Alsace export and win 5 other awards for our teas in France and England. 2014 : 20th anniversary! Terra Madre’s fjsh spice blend elected best organic product 2014 in France. First import from KTE , small farmers’s coop in Nepal . 2015 : New range of Terra Madre salt & peppers blends. First import of Moringa from Burkina Faso. 2016 : WFTO certifjcation. Shop. Renewing of all packagings. 4
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