Verdure Sciences, an ingredient supplier specializing in botanicals, was awarded the Union for Ethical BioTrade/Rainforest Alliance (UEBT/RA) certificate for turmeric, and its Sustainable Turmeric Program.
 
Verdure Sciences established the Sustainable Procurement Program (SPP) to define, structure, and drive ethical, profitable, sustainable, and certifiable initiatives for the plants it procures in its supply chains.
 
The SPP was formalized in 2017 with the launch of the Sustainable Turmeric Program in the southern region of India. The initiative encompasses the sustainability of people, plants, and the environment.
 
The Sustainable Turmeric Program is a case study highlighting turmeric sustainability and traceability at Verdure Sciences. It began with a pilot program including five farmers and seven acres, and now has expanded to include 310 farmers and nearly 640 acres of land with the intent to expand to new locations.
 
The program includes a qualification of farmers along with seed selection for purity, quality assurance/control, and mutually beneficial buyback assurances. Longstanding partnerships with farmers allow Verdure to provide seed rhizomes for maximum yield, quality, and purity, as well as increased revenues for farmers without cost entrance barriers each season.
 
The program covers sustainability and traceability of the plant through the full, nine month growing cycle. Farmers are supported with training and meetings, soil testing, regenerative agricultural practices through an on-site agronomist, and improvements in post-harvesting methods.
 
These combined efforts aim to support longstanding partnerships, improve yields, maintain sustainable initiatives, and ensure quality and purity throughout the value chain, Verdure reports, and each farmer is re-qualified for each growing cycle.
 
The UEBT/RA certificate includes standards which are designed to certify ethical and respectful sourcing of botanical ingredients, Verdure Sciences reports. According to UEBT, the two organizations “work together to regenerate nature and secure a better future for the people through ethical sourcing of ingredients from biodiversity. [They] aim to contribute to a world in which all people and biodiversity survive.
 
“Working with UEBT is a powerful way for businesses to demonstrate impact to consumers, governments, and other supply chain actors, and UEBT verification and certification allows all of us to choose brands, products, and ingredients that are contributing to a world in which all people and biodiversity thrive.”
 
“We are excited and grateful to receive the UEBT-Rainforest Alliance certification for our Sustainable Turmeric Program, especially as this journey began five years ago and is a testament to a successful partnership between multiple entities with the ultimate goal of benefiting the growers and their families, without whom we wouldn’t be in the position to offer sustainable, and consistent high quality Turmeric, an integral part of our flagship LongVida Optimized Curcumin ingredient,” said Ajay Patel, founder and CEO of Verdure Sciences. “We remain fully committed to such initiatives and are humbled and encouraged by the tremendous support from our strategic partners throughout our global supply chain.”