Numi Organic Tea is a privately owned triple bottom line social enterprise based in Oakland, California. Numi is known for its assortment of organic and fair trade certified teas and herbal "teasans". The company was founded in 1999 by brother and sister, Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani. The founders named the company "Numi" after the citrusy, Middle Eastern dried lime tea they drank as children growing up in Iraq. The name Numi is derived from the Arabic word for citrus.Phillips, Ryan. "The rare flavors and unique taste of Oakland's Numi Tea", Oakland North, 8 September 2011. Retrieved on 6 April 2012.Hubbard, Ben. "The Artist and The Alchemist:The brother and sister team behind the progressive business that is Numi Tea", San Francisco Chronicle, 29 June 2008. Retrieved on 6 April 2012. The J.M. Smucker Company holds a minority stake in Numi.
Certifications All of Numi's teas are USDA certified Organic and many are certified Fair Trade. In 2010, Numi was recognized as the largest brand purchaser of Fair Trade Certified teas in the U.S.Lagorio, Christine. "How to Obtain Fair Trade Certification", Inc.com, 31 January 2011. Retrieved on 6 April 2012.
Numi blends organic and fair trade certified tea leaves and herbs exclusively with real ingredients leaving out the use of artificial flavorings, "natural" flavorings, and/or fragrances commonly used in food & beverage products."Numi Organic Tea", BCorporation.net, Certified December 2007. Retrieved on 6 April 2012.
Products Numi sells bagged tea, loose leaf tea, iced tea, gift items and other tea-related products. The company offers tea types including green, black, white, oolong, pu-erh, and herbal teas such as honeybush and rooibos. Numi was first to introduce a full line of pu-erh tea products to the U.S. market."Numi Organic Tea Introduces New Artisanal Pu-erh Tea Blends", The Business Journals, 2 March 2012. Retrieved on 6 April 2012. In 2012, Numi added five new pu-erh flavors to its existing bagged pu-erh tea line."Numi Organic Tea adds five new flavors to Pu-erh line", Drug Store News, 2 March 2012. Retrieved on 23 May 2012.
The company is also known for introducing a full line of flowering tea and Bamboo Flowering Tea Gift Set in 2005.Barberio, Lily. "Tea Time: Bloom Boom | Numi Organic Tea", Food & Wine, May 2005. Retrieved on 16 May 2012. Flowering teas are made from organic tea leaves that have been hand sewn around flowers to create small, round bundles that blossom when steeped in hot water."Numi Flowering Tea: The Fusion of Art and Brew", Learn-About-Tea.com, Retrieved on 6 April 2012.
Practices Numi Organic Tea is a prominent social enterprise in the U.S. and a founding B Corporation."The Found B Corporations", "B Corporation - B Community." Retrieved on 23 May 2012. The company manufactures and distributes its tea in biodegradable, filter-paper tea bags rather than silk tea bags often made from petroleum based materials. Numi's tea bags are packaged in recyclable boxes made of 85% post-consumer waste, printed with soy-based inks and not wrapped with plastic. In 2020, Numi introduced commercially compostable, plant-based tea wrappers. The wrappers are made from a sugarcane Non-GMO PLA layer, metalized eucalyptus layer, FSC certified paper, and have been tested to produce no eco-toxicity when they break down. Numi is a Climate Neutral certified brand, meaning it has committed to measure, offset and reduce its annual carbon emissions.
References
External links numitea.com