Our values
We have worked with single estate organic tea plantations in India for over ten years.That's why we get tea directly from harvest. While big tea brands leave their tea languishing in storage or stagnating with blenders, our tea is sourced straight from organic plantations in India for a fresher tea with a superior taste.
Each of our blends bring a full roundness and depth of flavour possible only after years of internal testing and trials. And because we’re truly certified organic, that means no chemicals or pesticides in your daily cuppa.
What you are supporting
Rather than synthetic, chemical pesticides, we opt to have birds and insects keep our plants healthy.
Only a few decades ago, “going organic” didn’t require deep pockets or bare feet. Crops were cultivated on a smaller scale and conscious, sustainable farming was nothing extraordinary. These practices fell by the wayside as corporations simultaneously increased output and cut corners to minimise production time and labour costs. In came the pesticides and out went the love.
Our status as a NASAA organic certified operator charges us to treat our plantations as a living, breathing organism (ecosystem). The rigorous certification process demands dedication to the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity. Rather than synthetic, chemical pesticides, we opt to have birds and insects keep our plants healthy, and, as our highly-skilled, local workers get up close and personal to pick each leaf by hand, they prefer this too.
While strict, the constraints of our certification, which include working only with other NASAA-certified farms, lay the groundwork for a renaissance of sustainable farming practices globally, thus protecting and preserving our planet for tea drinkers of posterity.
AUROVILLE
The eco-conscious alternative community.
In 1968, a group of progressive, like-minded people from around the globe came together near Pondicherry, India to create a “universal township.” They established Auroville as a place where “all people could live in peace, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.” They erected infrastructure, including schools, homes and a giant gold meditation chamber, established a charter and developed an economy. Auroville’s vision speaks to progressive harmony, supreme truth, human unity, divine consciousness. All nice things to contemplate over a steaming cup of chai.
The town’s reputation is that of one of the most, if not the most, eco-conscious communities in India, and as the childhood home for three of our founders, it is where our story begins.
AUGANICS
What began as a passion for tea transitioned into an international business.
Aurganics is an Auroville-based business with a passion for quality sustainable and fair trade organic agriculture. Sixteen years ago, Aurganics began to work on tea plantations in Darjeeling and Assam, consulting with them on their transition to solely organic farming practices.
From this time spent on the plantations grew an enduring love for tea. When The Organic Tea Project joined forces with Aurganics, what began as a passion for tea transitioned into an international business with the aim of providing our community with top quality, great tasting, truly organic teas.
The Team
Our founders come from widespread backgrounds and draw upon distinct passions and strengths.
Three of our founding members grew up together in Auroville, where, as children, they were instilled with respect for eco-conscious living. One went on to consult for tea plantations seeking to convert their farming practices to comply with organic guidelines.
A fourth member lived his childhood on tea plantations across Sri Lanka, Kenya, South Africa and Indonesia, where his father worked as the master blender for a leading international tea brand. Joined later by a friend passionate about beverages and communication, together they saw the opportunity to introduce premium tea culture and a quality organic tea to a wider community.
Biodegradation
For the past 50 years, packaging methods for commodities have seen the dramatic rise of synthetic polymers such as nylon and polyester. These polymers account for the vast majority of mass produced tea temples. While cheap and convenient, these synthetic tea temples are far from biodegradable.
That’s why we have chosen a cellulose plant based tea temple as an alternative to polymers, plastics and bleached papers that are used for the temples of major tea brands. Our tea temples are 100% biodegradable so to ensure that while our is tea good for you, it's good for the planet as well.
Certification
We’re certified organic by NASAA (National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia), Cert No. 2793P. That means that we’re entrusted to offer only the cleanest and freshest teas for the Australian market, produced under sustainable and ethical farming practices.
