Article

Well Earth: Sri Lanka Organic Training Center

By: Co+op

Frontier Natural Products Co-op is a leading supplier of organic herbs and spices. Besides being committed to providing quality natural and organic products for consumers, they also have a strong commitment to the people and the land that produce their raw ingredients. One way this cooperative demonstrates its dedication to social and environmental concerns is through their Well Earth sourcing program.

The Well Earth program emerged from Frontier's desire to source the botanical ingredients for their products ethically and sustainably—and from organic farmers. Through this program, Frontier works directly with small farmers to achieve organic and sustainable production, share expertise, and support the growers' communities by paying fair market prices and funding community projects.

Well Earth suppliers are committed to excelling in five critical areas:
  1. Worker Safety and Fair Treatment
  2. Sustainable Growing/Production Practices
  3. Environmental Impact
  4. Social & Community Impact
  5. Food Safety & Quality

Organic training in Sri Lanka

One of the Well Earth programs Frontier developed is an organic training center in Sri Lanka. With $25,000 in grant money from Well Earth, this training center was constructed in late 2010 and classes are now underway, educating farmers on sustainable farming techniques such as composting, erosion control, rain harvesting, and natural pest management. The training center is also a fully functional research and development farm, allowing students to immediately put their education to use with hands-on field demonstrations and exercises. Check out Frontier's video to learn more about this project.

Frontier's goal is to "leave future generations with a healthier world than the one we live in today." One way Frontier is making strides towards that goal is through the Sri Lanka organic training center and other Well Earth programs (find links to other Frontier videos on their YouTube channel).