Traditional Medicinals
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Californian company selling organic herbal teas.
Traditional Medicinals can't show that the people who grow its tea in India and Sri Lanka earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Traditional Medicinals? Send a right of reply.
Compare Traditional Medicinals with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its tea is grown in countries such as India and Egypt, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Accreditations 2
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Traditional Medicinals's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its tea is grown
From press and retailer reports; Traditional Medicinals doesn't say where its tea is grown. The rest is shown as where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| KenyaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Egypt | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Bulgaria | Regular violations | Below a living wage | High |
| Kazakhstan | No guarantee of rights | Not rated | Very high |
| Poland | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| Hungary | Systematic violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Regular violations | Not rated | High |
| Paraguay | Regular violations | Not rated | Moderate |
| Germany | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Italy | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Albania | Systematic violations | Not rated | Very high |
| Austria | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalawiUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: tea estate wages in Assam, Sri Lanka and Kenya are among the lowest of any export crop, often paid partly in kind (housing, rations). Source
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes A Certified B Corp since 2010, it buys herbs from more than 30 countries. A 2015 TRAFFIC case study names its top 10 (India, Egypt, USA, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Poland, Hungary, Sri Lanka, Bosnia and Paraguay) as about 80% of volume, with no shares per country. In FY2025, 48% of herb volume came from fair-certified partners and 99.7% was organic. It is a Fair for Life brandholder, but only some teas carry Fair for Life or FairWild labels. It paid $383,727 in development funds to farmers and collectors in FY2025 and funds projects in sourcing villages. It publishes no living wage data. Australians can buy it online through iHerb.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp directory | Certified | Certified B Corp since August 2010, overall score 138.3 (workers 24.7). View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | No Fairtrade International certification is claimed; its fair trade labels are Fair for Life and FairWild. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour allegations involving Traditional Medicinals were found. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Traditional Medicinals - B Corp directory · search the archive · Certified since August 2010; overall score 138.3; workers score 24.7; California
- TRAFFIC case study: Traditional Medicinals and FairWild · search the archive · 2015: top 10 origins (India, Egypt, USA, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Poland, Hungary, Sri Lanka, Bosnia, Paraguay) ~80% of volume; European partners incl. Germany, Italy, Albania, Austria
- Traditional Medicinals achieves Fair for Life certification - StreetInsider (press release) · search the archive · September 2025: Fair for Life certification as a brandholder; 'Triple Certification' (organic, Fair for Life, FairWild) applied to named new teas; more than sixty teas, lozenges and capsules
- Innovation spotlight: how Traditional Medicinals invests in partner communities - Consumer Brands Association · search the archive · Sources chamomile, hibiscus and spearmint in Egypt; women's health and savings programmes; Fair for Life partner designation 2023; fair-certified herbs rose from 10 to 19
- Sonoma County's Traditional Medicinals announces minority partnership - North Bay Business Journal · search the archive · About 250 employees; Sadler family trust majority owner; Grounded Capital and Builder's Fund minority stakes
- Traditional Medicinals - iHerb Australia · search the archive · 65 products sold in AUD with delivery to Australia
Published by Traditional Medicinals or its owner
- Impact Report 2025 - Traditional Medicinals · search the archive · FY25: 48% of herb volume fair-certified; 99.7% organic; $383,727 development funds to farmers and collectors; Fair for Life brand holder; B score 138.3
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 250
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Traditional Medicinals ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/traditional-medicinals, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded tea
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Traditional Medicinals.