Numi Organic Tea
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tea |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Ahmed Rahim, Reem Hassani |
| Headquarters | Oakland, California , United States |
| Products | Organic and fair trade certified teas, herbal teasans, flowering teas, iced teas, gift collections |
| Owner | The J.M. Smucker Company (minority stake) |
Numi Organic Tea operates as a privately held triple bottom line social enterprise headquartered in Oakland, California. Established in 1999 by siblings Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani, the company specializes in offering an assortment of organic and fair trade certified teas along with herbal teasans. The brand name, inspired by the Arabic term for citrus, pays homage to the Middle Eastern dried lime tea favored during their childhood in Iraq. A minority ownership stake in Numi is held by The J.M. Smucker Company.
Certifications
Every Numi tea product carries USDA Organic certification, with a significant portion also bearing Fair Trade certification. In 2010, Numi earned distinction as the largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified teas among U.S. brands. Their blends consist solely of organic, fair trade tea leaves and herbs combined with genuine ingredients, deliberately excluding artificial or "natural" flavorings and scents typically found in food and beverage items.
Products
Numi’s portfolio encompasses both bagged and loose leaf teas, iced tea varieties, gift collections, and associated items. Their selection spans green, black, white, oolong, pu-erh, and herbal teas such as honeybush and rooibos. The company was instrumental in introducing a comprehensive range of pu-erh teas to the U.S. market, further expanding this category with five new flavors released in 2012.
Moreover, Numi gained recognition for debuting a complete series of flowering tea products along with the Bamboo Flowering Tea Gift Set in 2005. These unique teas feature organic leaves meticulously hand-stitched around flowers that unfurl when brewed.
Practices
As a prominent U.S. social enterprise and founding member of the B Corporation movement, Numi Organic Tea emphasizes sustainability throughout its operations. Their tea bags are made from biodegradable filter paper rather than petroleum-based silk materials. Packaging consists of recyclable boxes crafted from 85% post-consumer recycled content, printed using soy-based inks, and excludes plastic wrapping. In 2020, Numi introduced commercially compostable, plant-derived tea wrappers composed of sugarcane Non-GMO PLA, metalized eucalyptus, and FSC-certified paper; these materials have been tested to confirm they break down without causing ecological harm. Additionally, Numi holds Climate Neutral certification, pledging to annually assess, offset, and minimize its carbon footprint.