Sustainable action and continuous improvement are core values of ours, and we don’t just talk the talk. Not only are we committed to organic growing practices, but we also make ethical and sustainable sourcing a top priority. Our goals are to minimize our impact on the environment and support organic farms, all while bringing you the highest quality herbs.
You might be asking, “What does it even mean to be organic?” or “How do you source your herbs and mushrooms?” Let’s dive in.
What is Organic?
According to the Canada Organic Trade Association, organic production is a system of farming that replenishes and maintains soil fertility without the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers. It encourages practices that increase biodiversity and reduce negative environmental impacts.
The Canadian Organic Standards state that in order to be considered organic, production MUST include:
- Rotating crops to balance and distribute nutrients in the soil.
- Composting to add nitrogen and organic matter to the soil.
- Keeping weeds down and preventing drought and soil erosion.
- Using beneficial insects or manual labour to control pests.
This system is designed to ensure vitality and diversity within the agricultural ecosystem. This includes soil organisms, plants and people. The main goal of organic production is to develop operations that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment.
Ethical Sourcing
To ethically sustain our production level, Harmonic Arts works with various vendors from herb brokerages to small farmers worldwide. This allows us to prioritize organic herbs whenever possible, and to consistently make effective formulas that contain high-quality herbs, mushrooms, and superfoods.
Before entering a professional relationship with a vendor, we ask them to send us samples of the herbs so that we can quality test them within our facility and ensure they are up to our standards.
If we decide to move forward, every vendor that we work with must adhere to a Supplier Code of Conduct. This code of conduct outlines our standards for fair, safe, and healthy working conditions, along with environmental responsibility throughout our supply chain. This includes, but isn’t limited to agreeing that:
- All workers are over the age of 15 or beyond the age for completion of compulsory education.
- There is no use of forced labour and workers are provided with a safe and healthy workplace.
- There is equal opportunity for employment and all workers are treated with respect and dignity, without fear of harassment or abuse.
- Workers are paid at or exceeding minimum wage and provided with all benefits required by law.
- We favour suppliers who progressively raise employee living standards through improved wage systems, benefits, welfare programs, and other services.
- The vendor is compliant with all applicable environmental laws and displays responsible management of energy and natural resource usage, emissions, discharges, carbon footprint, and disposal of waste.
- The vendor ensures social and environmental responsibility and transparency of product contents.
We will always prioritize vendors that have organic, sustainable, ethical and traditional growing practices. As organic cultivation is planned for, it is inherently sustainable and regenerative. We firmly believe that these practices produce the highest quality herbs, superfoods and mushrooms. These high standards ensure Harmonic Arts products contain the most potent plant medicine.
More on Functional Mushrooms
We are proud to source our functional mushrooms from the pristine mountainous regions of China and the birch forests of Siberia. These regions have a long-established history of traditional mushroom cultivation.
Our decision to source from China is made mindfully and with deep consideration of purity, potency, and quality. The organic farms we partner with pride themselves on cultivating fruiting body mushrooms using traditional mediums that closely resemble their wild environment.
This method ensures the mushroom receives plenty of nourishment and will go on to produce a fruiting body with the essential polysaccharides needed to support human health. Learn more here.
Plant Medicine with Purpose
As we take care of the earth, we take care of each other, allowing each of us to live vibrantly.
Our Community
When you purchase Harmonic Arts Artisan Teas, or Herbal Lattes, 1% of sales are donated to The Cumberland Community Forest Society. This local organization buys back, protects, and conserves the diverse ecosystem of the Cumberland Forest.
The Planet
In 2023, 83% of our packaging was either compostable or recyclable. We are continuously working to implement more sustainable packaging for our products. Currently, our Artisan Teas and Herbal Lattes are packaged in compostable material, and most of our other packaging is made of recyclable glass. Learn more about our packaging, along with our earth-friendly tips on how to properly dispose of it here.
B Corp Certified
As a company that is devoted to sharing the healing power of plant medicine, sustainable action is at the heart of what we do. Becoming a Certified B Corporation has kept us accountable to our community, who values our commitment to ethical and sustainable sourcing, earth-friendly initiatives, and transparency. By cultivating a balance between people, planet, and profit, we're thrilled to be B Corp Certified.
Curious to understand our impact on the environment? Click here to read our 2023 Impact Report and learn how we embody our mission and values.
