Organic Tea: The Safest Choice
Certified organic tea is free of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Organic tea agriculture sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic tea agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.
Synthetic pesticides are known to pose significant, acknowledged health risks to people—including birth defects, damage to the nervous system; disruption of hormones and endocrine systems; respiratory disorders; skin and eye irritations; and various types of cancers. Herbicides have also been associated with certain cancers and Parkinson’s Disease.
Every year, new research demonstrates the toxicity of synthetic pesticides to human health and the environment, often at doses previously declared “safe” by the pesticide industry and the government. Many pesticides that were once allowed by the EPA have eventually been banned—yet in some cases the damage remains. DDT still exists in the environment and in the cells of Americans, 30 years after it was banned in the United States.
A Better Tasting Tea
At Divinitea, all our loose leaf teas and herbal tisanes are certified organic in accordance with the USDA National Organic Program. This means our blending facility is inspected by a third party, insuring that all our ingredients are certified organic.
Teas that are not certified organic are often air dried without rinsing, meaning that synthetic chemicals are dried on the leaf, and may end up in your cup. This can affect the quality of the tea and pose potential health risks.
In addition, synthetic chemicals are designed to stimulate production. While these methods may increase the yield of a crop, there is a cost of quality. An organic tea grower uses more natural processes to create a sustainable yield. These practices are reflected in the flavor of the tea, and a better nutritional content.
Better For The Environment
Organic tea farming practices don’t rely on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers to maintain a high yield. Organic tea farming relies heavily on the natural breakdown of organic matter, using techniques like green manure and composting, to replace nutrients taken from the soil by previous crops. This biological process, driven by microorganisms such as mycorrhiza, allows the natural production of nutrients in the soil throughout the growing season, and has been referred to as feeding the soil to feed the plant.
Synthetic fertilizers play a major role in contaminating the environment. A relatively small amount of the nitrogen contained in fertilizers applied to the soil is actually absorbed by plants. The rest runs off into waterways, where it creates massive “algal blooms.” The overgrown nitrate-fed algae starve water of oxygen, suffocating fish and other aquatic life. Runoff nitrogen also leaches into groundwater, contaminating drinking water and creating widespread health hazards.
Pesticide use raises a number of environmental concerns. Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach a destination other than their target species, including non-target species, air, water and soil. Pesticide drift occurs when pesticides suspended in the air as particles are carried by wind to other areas, potentially contaminating them. Pesticides are one of the causes of water pollution, and some pesticides are persistent organic pollutants and contribute to soil contamination.
In addition, pesticide use reduces biodiversity, reduces nitrogen fixation, contributes to pollinator decline, destroys habitat (especially for birds), and threatens endangered species
That’s why we are proud to keep all our teas and herbal tisanes free of these synthetic chemicals. When you buy from Divinitea, you are investing in good health, a better tea and a better earth.