Herbs and spices are used in a variety of foods and flavourings and provide important income to farmers. Through a new programme, producers harvesting or collecting these ingredients can access new markets while conserving biodiversity.
Since 2015, UEBT has been partnering with UTZ in a successful herbal tea programme that has resulted in 1,000 herbal tea products carrying the UTZ label.
The new Herbs & Spices programme integrates the current programmes of UEBT/UTZ and the Rainforest Alliance into a broader and stronger programme. It will include:
· herbal & fruit infusions
· rooibos infusions
· herbs and spices, including vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, chili and black pepper
In January 2021 the programme will launch. At that time, the new Herbs & Spices programme will replace the existing herbal tea programme of UEBT/UTZ and the current spices program at Rainforest Alliance. The transition to the new certification will take place over the course of 2021. We are committed to making the transition as smooth as possible for all our partners.
All ingredients certified under the new programme will be able to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal or be linked to a Rainforest Alliance corporate claim.
