Bio Foods - Small Organic Farmers' Association

Bridgehead's green tea, orange pekoe, and lemongrass come from Bio Foods (PVT) Ltd., Sri Lanka. Bio Foods' main areas of business are organic cultivation, harvesting and processing quality organic Green Teas, Black Teas, Naturally flavoured teas, Herbal teas, Spices and Fruits. Bio Foods has gained a strong reputation as a quality exporter in the European Markets.

Bridgehead teas are part of the Small Organic Farmers' Association (SOFA) in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is one of Bio Foods' most successful programs through which organic green teas, special black teas, medicinal herbal mixtures, spices, fruits, vegetables are hygienically produced for export markets.

Bio Foods has made substantial investments on research and development in improving the Tea Industry in Sri Lanka. Close supervision and controls have ensured consistency and high quality. Bio Foods, an environmentally friendly organization in Sri Lanka, minimizes the usage of artificial materials including packaging in order to prevent pollution.

Objectives:

• Encourage small-scale farmers to follow organic agricultural practices
• Carry out research and development work on processing of tea, herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables
• Process high quality organic black & green teas, selected herbal teas, fruits, vegetables and spices
• Contribute to the advancement in socio-economic standards of the farmer community

Benefits to Farmers:

• Higher guaranteed price per kg is paid for green leaf
• Farmers receive continuous advisory services on organic agricultural practices
• Bio Foods (PVT) Ltd. purchases other raw materials from farmers for processing and exporting
• Cattle are donated to farmer families to assist in preparation of compost manure and to generate additional income from milk sales.

Tea Promoters (India) Private Limited

Most of Bridgehead's black teas come from Tea Promoters (India). Tea Promoters is fully committed to what is now popularly known as organic and biodynamic tea cultivation. Tea Promoters also supports efforts to uplift the human communities that live and work in the tea gardens so as to create a harmonious frame for sustainable economic and social development.

Tea Promoters' gardens are accredited with the internationally reputed Naturland Association, a full member of the international Federation of Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and a member foundation of a German umbrella organization the Association of organic Agriculture in Germany (AGOL). The Institut inspects of Tea Promoters' gardens for Marketecologie (IMO). They are the leading inspectors of organic tea with worldwide quality control activities in for all kinds of organic products.

Tea Promoters has several gardens:

• Seeyok, Mirik District: These gardens are nestled on the slopes of the Himalayas, at 1,100 – 1,800 m above sea level. Its 500 growers have perfected the art of plucking at the peak moments to produce our Darjeeling standard. It is also used in the English Breakfast and Earl Grey blends.
• Putharjhora, Oodlarbari District: Flanked by two rivers in North Bengal, the fertile alluvial soil produces a classic black tea used as the base for the traditional Masala Chai.
• Banaspaty, Karbi Anglong District: This tea garden provides pure Assam tea as well as that found in the English Breakfast blend.
• Other TPI gardens include Samabeong, Teesta District and Selimbong, Rungbong District

Clef des Champs

• Spearmint peppermint, chamomile, hibiscus