Traceback your Product
and explore your
impact on people
& the environment
Creating a
FAIR ECONOMY
$ 12,326
are invested in supporting the small farmers of EoL in carbon sequestration and avoidance practices.
Creating a
FAIR SOCIETY
100%
of full-time employees in Sekem who worked to produce this product receive health insurance and safe working conditions.
Life Long Learning &
WELLBEING
10%
of the working time in Sekem is dedicated to art and self-development activities; to promote wellbeing and happiness at work.
Protecting the
ENVIRONMENT
390
beehives are introduced as a way of an innovative method of increasing biodiversity
Farming
Senna, licorice, chamomile, fennel, dill, coriander, and anise are the mix of herbs in Sekem’s Relief tea. The herbs comes to you from El-Wahat, Aswan, Beni Suief, and Minia, check out the map to see where each individual herb is grown. They’re cultivated using the highest form of organic agriculture called biodynamic. The farms are Demeter and Economy of Love certified, ensuring the sustainable practices and the protection of the environment, human and animal welfare.
Economy of Love supports small farmers in guaranteeing a contract-bound long-term relationship between them and their respective companies
Economy of Love builds the capacity and expertise of the small farmer in biodynamic agriculture by linking them to associations that provide the guidance of agricultural engineers specialized in biodynamic agricultural methods.
With the EoL Carbon Credits adding an additional income to the farmer, EoL is aiming to make biodynamic agriculture the mainstream method in Egypt, by reducing the price of biodynamic products.
Meet The Farmers
get to the source of production
Samy
Farmer in Beni Suif, Egypt
Samy Mohamed Khames has been growing biodynamic crops on his two Demeter-certified farms called Saft and El-Mostashar farms located in Beni Suif for over 18 years now.
Ahmed
Farmer in Fayoum, Egypt
Ahmed has a farm called Mashhour in Fayoum, with an area of 59 Feddan that uses biodynamic agriculture that has proven to have better product quality, healthier and safer for the environment and human health. He clarified that the EoL creates a strong bonds between the company, farmers and the customer.
Essam
Farmer in Fayoum, Egypt
Essam El-Deen is the owner of the Demeter-certified farm called Somosta Farm. Together with his family Essam has a small piece of land where they use a crop rotation and grow numerous different crops, using biodynamic methods of agriculture.
Processing
The herbs first arrive at Lotus factory where tests are conducted to ensure the organic and Demeter quality first. Then the herbs are cleaned, sifted and cut to the required size, ready to be sent to iSiS factory to be packed.
Lotus strives to create fair long-term relationships with the supplying farmers, thus round-table meetings are conducted annually where many farmers gather with the companies to discuss prices, challenges, and draft solutions.
Lotus was able to reach a 48% reduction in the non-organic waste, sold for external recycling service providers.
As a processor of organic raw materials, lotus generates large masses of organic waste, that are being sent to compost sites to be turned into compost.
Packaging
25kg bags of different herbs arrive at the iSiS factory located a few meters away from the lotus factory. The herbs are mixed together in the mixer, once they’re ready the relief tea is uploaded in the packaging machine to be packed in the tea bags and envelops. Demeter quality is ensured throughout the mixing and packing process.
iSiS was able to reduce 77% of its no-organic waste as well as reducing 25% of its organic waste. iSiS tries to reduce as much waste as possible, the rest of the recyclable non-organic waste is sold to external recycling entities.
Factory workers work in safe conditions and receive health consultancies (in topics such as nutrition, mental health, and physiotherapy) to promote well-being in the workplace.
You will find confident and active women all around you when entering the iSiS factory. iSiS empowers women through sessions that build their capacity and teach them how to voice their needs and individuality.
Packaging Material
The packaging material plays a significant role in the product quality and impact on the environment, for that SEKEM always seeks to be responsible in choosing the best material for better lifetime for the product and the environment.
The tea bags of the relief tea have no whiteners or bleach added to them, making them a healthier option for tea bags where there is no chemicals to react with hot water.
The filter bags, the carton box and the label are FSC certified. Additionally the filter tea bags are tied together with the thread label, with no need for the metal part to attach them together.
Some packages require plastic wrap to meet customer’s requirements. However, the company is committed to finding more eco-friendly alternatives.
Distribution
The Relief tea packages are now ready to be distributed directly to your home, local shops, or overseas.
Distribution process is under the supervision of iSiS to ensure the selection of the shipping cars to be cleaned and qualified for the process.
The emissions produced during the distribution process are calculated and offset by the iSiS factory.
During overseas shipments the first choice is always sea freight to reduce emissions, however air fright is needed sometimes for smaller orders.
Meet The Employees
have a look, who processed, packaged and distributed your product
Marwa
Quality Manager in iSiS
Marwa has been working in the tea department of iSiS factory for more than 8 years. Together with her husband and two children, she lives on the SEKEM farm.
Ahmed
Factory Engineer at SEKEM
Ahmed has been working in SEKEM for four years, and lives right next to the SEKEM farm with his family.
Ahmed
Factory Engineer in Lotus
Hassan is in charge of the cleaning and packing machine in the processing facility of Lotus. He has been working in Lotus for 17 years and enjoys that work is combined with cultural programs.
Abd El Magid
Distributor in SEKEM
Abd El Magid has been an employee in SEKEM for over 15 years. He is responsible for distributing the finished products to stores all over Cairo.
What is the True Price?
Are there hidden costs that the price doesn't reflect?
True Price Comparision
Sustainably & ethically produced products add value to society. However, when comparing prices, we don’t take into account the long-term impact of the product. For example, since the sustainable agricultural practices of cultivating the herbs in this relief tea is sequestering Co2e it is actually saving up future damage cost that you’ll eventually pay for. This means that it is cheaper than products that emit Co2e, but so often the price tag doesn’t reflect that.
We encourage you to compare products based on their true price; the price that reflects the hidden costs that you and future generations eventually pay for.
Indirect Costs include:
WATER
REPROCESSING COST
Society is paying taxes to clean water sources from agriculture’s chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, as well as the irresponsible disposal of wastewater from factories, in order to make it usable/drinkable water.
HEALTH COSTS
The use of pesticides in agriculture eventually affects the human body and therefore increases medical treatment costs.
ENVIRONMENTAL
DAMAGE
Society has to bear the long-term cost caused by disruptive agriculture e.g. soil erosion, desertification, and loss of biodiversity.
Locations
Check out the locations of all the farms, companies who were involved in making this product!
discover the origin of your product
We hope this information helped you Choose Your Impact!
And make mindful purchasing decisions that leave a positive impact on people and the environment
Interested to know more about the companies above? Click here to download the SEKEM Sustainability Report
