In cooperation with our global strategic partners, Verdure Sciences^® has established the Sustainable Procurement Program (SPP) to define, structure, and drive ethical, profitable, sustainable and certifiable initiatives for the plants we procure and process throughout our supply chains.

Although in practice as a founding principle, The Sustainable Procurement Program (SPP) was formalized in 2017 with the launch of the Sustainable Turmeric Program (STP) in the Southern region of India. Through Verdugration^® and Verdure Cares^®, we designed this initiative to encompass the sustainability of our people, plants, and planet allowing us to bring meaningful messaging to pillars of our mission.

The Sustainable Turmeric Program (STP) is a case study highlighting turmeric sustainability and traceability at Verdure Sciences^®. STP began as a pilot program with 5 farmers covering 7 acres and has now expanded to include more than 310 farmers and nearly 640 acres of land, with a goal to expand with additional farmers, acreage and geographical locations. The Sustainable Turmeric Program includes a qualification of farmers along with seed selection for purity, quality assurance/control, and mutually beneficial buy-back assurances. Long-standing partnerships with farmers allows 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 also includes sustainable and traceable efforts throughout the full growing cycle (approximately 9 months). During the growing cycle, farmers are supported with training and meetings, soil testing, regenerative agricultural practices are implemented with the support of an on-site agronomist, and efforts are made to improve post-harvest processing methods. These combined efforts aim to support long-standing partnerships, improve yields, maintain sustainable initiatives, and ensure quality and purity throughout the value chain. Farmers are re-qualified each growing cycle.

Expanding upon, and validating the efforts of the Sustainable Procurement Program, and in particular the Sustainable Turmeric Program, Verdure has now added the Union for Ethical Biotrade-Rainforest Alliance (UBET/RA) certificate. The UEBT/Rainforest Alliance standards are designed to certify ethical and respectful sourcing of botanical ingredients. The UEBT website explains that “[they] work 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.” The good practices set through UEBT/RA are a guide for how companies and suppliers should harvest, collect, or grow ingredients in a way that is respectful of the local environment and to those that call it home. Further, the site explains, “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 5 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. 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,” said Ajay Patel, Founder & CEO.

Read More:

1. https://www.nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com/news/article_page/Verdure_awarded_certificate_for_sustainable_turmeric_program/209202
2. https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2023/06/02/verdure-sciences-awarded-certification-for-sustainable-and-ethical-sourcing
3. https://innovationsfood.com/verdure-sciences-awarded-for-sustainable-turmeric-program/