Tea & Coffee article - Les Jardins de Gaia

Long before “organic” was ubiqui-tous in the global food and bever-age industry, Arlette Rohmer and

her partner Nico Ewen committed toorganic farming in small gardens andunder fair labor conditions. This was a gutdecision based on their personal philoso-phy and it targeted a tea market nichewith ideal ethics.

More than 18 years later, Les Jardinsde Gaïa (Gaïa Gardens) has grown andprospered. Its commitment to organic andbiodynamic agriculture together withdecent wages and living conditions for thegrowers has remained the core of its busi-ness concept. This business approach isperfectly reflected in the company’s name,“Les Jardins de Gaïa.” Gaïa is the ancientgoddess of the earth in Greek mythology.Moreover, Gaïa’s philosophy and businessconcept grows stronger with every new teagarden project, be it in India, China orTanzania—a long list that covers 11 pro-ducing countries.

Rohmer was brought up the eldest offive girls in Wittisheim, a small village inthe border region of Alsace, whichbelonged to Germany at times and is nowlocated within the territory of France. Thegirls used to go for long walks in the

gaïa gardens

Les Jardins de Gaïa:

Organic By CreationEurope’s leading supplier of organic premium leaf teas,Les Jardins de Gaïa, remains committed to its foundingprincipals of organic farming, biodynamics and fair laborpractices. By Barbara Dufrêne

22 TEA & COFFEE TRADE JOURNAL | www.teaandcoffee.net

All of Gaïa’s productshave full traceabilityback to the trees andthe bushes of theirorigin terroirs.

woods with their father, who taught themto recognize, smell and taste wild berriesand leaves. From her early years, Rohmerwas aware of the incredible wealth thatunspoiled nature offers to mankind. Shesoon recognized that human life and theplanet earth can only prosper within a sys-

tem of mutual respect. “I was a tea loversince my school time and during mystudy years I realized that only very fewquality teas on the market complied withmy beliefs about ethical agricultural pro-duction as a whole,” Rohmer said.

Gradually these ideas crystallized

into a business concept and the compa-ny, Les Jardins de Gaïa, was created inRohmer’s native Alsace, in 1994. Thecompany’s strategy to source exclusivelyhigh-quality organic teas was innovativeand demanding. The EU provisions forOrganic Agriculture had been adopted in1991, thus the selling of organic teasmeant that it had to meet precise regula-tory requirements.

It was in 1995 that the EU authoritiesstarted to implement pesticide residuelimit regulations across Europe. In 1997the Fair Trade Label Organizationlaunched its campaign to improve marketaccess and product revenues for the smallgrowers in the southern part of the globe.All these criteria and quality requirementsfit into Gaïa’s business approach and basicphilosophy, but no such teas were current-ly available.

Strong, Lasting PartnershipsBuilding a reliable supply and creating anappropriate network of sourcing partnersfor such teas was therefore the first chal-

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gaïa gardens

Gaïa founder Arlette Rohmer looks for small and remote tea gardens with traditional ways.

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lenge for the new company. Being anintrepid traveler, Rohmer set out to dis-cover them, looking for small and remotetea gardens with traditional ways andancestral product knowledge.

One such new (and current) partnerwas Binod Mohan, son of the founder ofTPI (Tea Promoters of India), whichowns several tea estates in Darjeeling,Assam and the Dooars, of whichSelimbong TE, in Darjeeling was the firstto be certified organic in 1995. Withintheir tea estates the TPI team has alsoassisted the small independent local teagrowers to get federated in cooperativestructures making their own TPI factoriesavailable for the processing of these small-

holder teas. There are also the coopera-tives in South Africa, growing organicrooibos that joined in 1996, followed bythe group of small organic farmers,SOFA, in the Kandy region in Sri Lanka,who started to supply their teas to LesJardins de Gaïa in 1997.

Step by step the continuous travelsallowed the company to establish a com-prehensive network of organic tea growersacross the continents and whenever possi-ble with the requirement for fair labor andliving conditions. The sales catalogue hasexpanded and now includes herbs andspices, sourced under the same stringentquality conditions as the teas.

That precise choice of sourcing only

organic teas, herbs and spices from smallstructures where workers’ welfare is granteddoes not only limit access to supply, but alsocommands for higher price levels. Fullyaware of these constraints the companygradually carved out its proper marketniche and sales strategy. It does not have aretail store chain, just one big tea shop nextto the production site. Gaïa also works witha mail-order catalogue. Furthermore, theirteas are distributed by a dense network ofBio Coops, a French network of organicretailers and of course, tea houses and finefood shops. As a wholesaler and importer,Gaïa also supplies their teas to other brands.Gaïa participates with well-staffed booths atmost of the organic food and well beingtrade fairs in France and also every year atBio Fach, the international B-to-B organicfood trade fair in Germany.

When Rohmer and Ewen launchedthe company, they had strong convic-tions. The years have passed and shownthat this narrow path could be traveledsuccessfully and it gradually appearedthat more and more smaller operatorswere aiming towards similar goals.Taking up this new challenge for furtherimprovements, Gaïa was instrumental insetting up a new international, not-for-profit structure called Trust OrganicSmall Farmers in 1997. Through thisorganization, small producers, importersand wholesalers have joined forces toadd the sustainability concept to theorganic and Fair Trade certifications.This new global network, which hassome Non Governmental Organizations(NGO) support, also has a realistic mar-ket approach. It aims to ensure that allthe smallholders get enough visibilityand market access to sell their crop atfair prices.

Rohmer is satisfied and enthusiasticabout this new structure, feeling that thehuge amount of good will and trustfulcooperation have generated a series of newincentives that are now bringing morehigh-quality teas to the market and betterrevenues to the growers. She is proud ofthe long list of ongoing projects including24 small producer cooperatives of whichfour are in India, nine in China, three inSouth Africa, two in Vietnam, one each in

gaïa gardens

Nepal, Laos, Tanzania, Egypt and Argentina. There are also 11 teaestates involved in such improvement projects, of which 10 are inIndia and one is in Korea.

From all these places Gaïa directly sources their nearly 450varieties of organic green, black, oolong, white and yellow leafteas and their rooibos, maté, lapacho and other exotic herbalsand their spices. All products have full traceability back to the

trees and bushes of their origin terroirs. Furthermore, Gaïa hasthe biggest share of its product list under Fair Trade Label certi-fication, thus ranking as number one in the French tea market.In addition to its own sourcing, the company is the exclusive dis-tributor for the French market of two premium Japanese teabrands: Keiko, with tea gardens in Kyushu Island and Ayia, theworld’s biggest producer of matcha, located in the centre ofHonshu Island, close to the tea fields of Shizuoka.

Every year there are special events and achievements that thecompany proudly shares with customers in its annual sales book-let such as the newly certified tea cooperatives and estates whojoin the suppliers’ network, the new production site that openedin 2004, the additional warehouse opening its doors in 2010, andthe various producers’ delegations visiting Gaia’s headquarters. In2005, Rohmer’s dream project was finalized: a Japanese tea housesurrounded by five traditional gardens in the true tradition of ZenBuddhism. It is a beautiful and peaceful spot where customers canenjoy a perfect cup of tea and where Cha No Yu sessions(Japanese tea ceremonies) are scheduled every month.

The wheel continues turning for Gaïa. Ewen left for newhorizons in 2009, therefore Rohmer is now solely in charge againand planning for more progress and bigger volumes. Convincedthat the chosen path remains the right one, she feels that teadrinkers in France and other European markets are becomingincreasingly aware of the need to preserve nature and the need toshare and to care for the remote rural populations in the produc-ing countries. She continues her backpack travels that take heraround the world as she attempts to visit all her “tea projects” atleast once every other year.

So all augurs well for Les Jardins de Gaïa, which will sooncelebrate its 20 years of existence.

Barbara Dufrêne is the former Secretary General of the EuropeanTea Committee and editor of La Nouvelle Presse du Thé. She maybe reached at: [email protected].

www.florapharm.demailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

www.florapharmteausa.com

gaïa gardens


Gaïa directly sources its nearly 450 varieties oforganic tea. Gaïa’s one shop is located next to theproduction site.


lenge for the new company. Being anintrepid traveler, Rohmer set out to dis-cover them, looking for small and remotetea gardens with traditional ways andancestral product knowledge.

One such new (and current) partnerwas Binod Mohan, son of the founder ofTPI (Tea Promoters of India), whichowns several tea estates in Darjeeling,Assam and the Dooars, of whichSelimbong TE, in Darjeeling was the firstto be certified organic in 1995. Withintheir tea estates the TPI team has alsoassisted the small independent local teagrowers to get federated in cooperativestructures making their own TPI factoriesavailable for the processing of these small-

holder teas. There are also the coopera-tives in South Africa, growing organicrooibos that joined in 1996, followed bythe group of small organic farmers,SOFA, in the Kandy region in Sri Lanka,who started to supply their teas to LesJardins de Gaïa in 1997.

Step by step the continuous travelsallowed the company to establish a com-prehensive network of organic tea growersacross the continents and whenever possi-ble with the requirement for fair labor andliving conditions. The sales catalogue hasexpanded and now includes herbs andspices, sourced under the same stringentquality conditions as the teas.

That precise choice of sourcing only

organic teas, herbs and spices from smallstructures where workers’ welfare is granteddoes not only limit access to supply, but alsocommands for higher price levels. Fullyaware of these constraints the companygradually carved out its proper marketniche and sales strategy. It does not have aretail store chain, just one big tea shop nextto the production site. Gaïa also works witha mail-order catalogue. Furthermore, theirteas are distributed by a dense network ofBio Coops, a French network of organicretailers and of course, tea houses and finefood shops. As a wholesaler and importer,Gaïa also supplies their teas to other brands.Gaïa participates with well-staffed booths atmost of the organic food and well beingtrade fairs in France and also every year atBio Fach, the international B-to-B organicfood trade fair in Germany.

When Rohmer and Ewen launchedthe company, they had strong convic-tions. The years have passed and shownthat this narrow path could be traveledsuccessfully and it gradually appearedthat more and more smaller operatorswere aiming towards similar goals.Taking up this new challenge for furtherimprovements, Gaïa was instrumental insetting up a new international, not-for-profit structure called Trust OrganicSmall Farmers in 1997. Through thisorganization, small producers, importersand wholesalers have joined forces toadd the sustainability concept to theorganic and Fair Trade certifications.This new global network, which hassome Non Governmental Organizations(NGO) support, also has a realistic mar-ket approach. It aims to ensure that allthe smallholders get enough visibilityand market access to sell their crop atfair prices.

Rohmer is satisfied and enthusiasticabout this new structure, feeling that thehuge amount of good will and trustfulcooperation have generated a series of newincentives that are now bringing morehigh-quality teas to the market and betterrevenues to the growers. She is proud ofthe long list of ongoing projects including24 small producer cooperatives of whichfour are in India, nine in China, three inSouth Africa, two in Vietnam, one each in

gaïa gardens

Nepal, Laos, Tanzania, Egypt and Argentina. There are also 11 teaestates involved in such improvement projects, of which 10 are inIndia and one is in Korea.

From all these places Gaïa directly sources their nearly 450varieties of organic green, black, oolong, white and yellow leafteas and their rooibos, maté, lapacho and other exotic herbalsand their spices. All products have full traceability back to the

trees and bushes of their origin terroirs. Furthermore, Gaïa hasthe biggest share of its product list under Fair Trade Label certi-fication, thus ranking as number one in the French tea market.In addition to its own sourcing, the company is the exclusive dis-tributor for the French market of two premium Japanese teabrands: Keiko, with tea gardens in Kyushu Island and Ayia, theworld’s biggest producer of matcha, located in the centre ofHonshu Island, close to the tea fields of Shizuoka.

Every year there are special events and achievements that thecompany proudly shares with customers in its annual sales book-let such as the newly certified tea cooperatives and estates whojoin the suppliers’ network, the new production site that openedin 2004, the additional warehouse opening its doors in 2010, andthe various producers’ delegations visiting Gaia’s headquarters. In2005, Rohmer’s dream project was finalized: a Japanese tea housesurrounded by five traditional gardens in the true tradition of ZenBuddhism. It is a beautiful and peaceful spot where customers canenjoy a perfect cup of tea and where Cha No Yu sessions(Japanese tea ceremonies) are scheduled every month.

The wheel continues turning for Gaïa. Ewen left for newhorizons in 2009, therefore Rohmer is now solely in charge againand planning for more progress and bigger volumes. Convincedthat the chosen path remains the right one, she feels that teadrinkers in France and other European markets are becomingincreasingly aware of the need to preserve nature and the need toshare and to care for the remote rural populations in the produc-ing countries. She continues her backpack travels that take heraround the world as she attempts to visit all her “tea projects” atleast once every other year.

So all augurs well for Les Jardins de Gaïa, which will sooncelebrate its 20 years of existence.

Barbara Dufrêne is the former Secretary General of the EuropeanTea Committee and editor of La Nouvelle Presse du Thé. She maybe reached at: [email protected].

www.florapharm.demailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

www.florapharmteausa.com

gaïa gardens


Gaïa directly sources its nearly 450 varieties oforganic tea. Gaïa’s one shop is located next to theproduction site.

Tea & Coffee article - Les Jardins de Gaia

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