It’s a question we hear on occasion: “Is your tea certified organic?”

The short answer is: not always. But the full answer is more meaningful—and, we think, more honest

Many of our teas are grown by smallholder farmers using organic methods—no synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides. The soil is healthy, the ecosystems intact. In many cases, the land has been farmed this way for generations

So why not the certification?

Certification is complicated

Getting certified organic is not just about farming practices. It’s also about paperwork, fees, and alignment with country-specific standards. For a small farm in Vietnam or Yunnan, China, these costs can be prohibitively high—and the certification may not even be recognized internationally without duplication

In other words, a tea can be grown completely naturally and still not have the label

Different countries, different rules

Organic standards vary widely:

• In the U.S., USDA Organic certification requires third-party verification, inspections, and yearly renewals

• In the EU, organic certification has its own standards and criteria

• In China and Vietnam, traditional farming methods often exceed organic standards, but local certifications may not carry global recognition

As a result, many of the teas we source are "beyond organic"—grown using regenerative, holistic practices that don’t rely on industrial inputs, but also don’t carry official certification

Trust in relationship

At 7 Sips, we prioritize direct sourcing, long-term partnerships, and transparency. We visit farms, speak with growers, and choose teas based on their integrity—not just their paperwork

When we say a tea is grown to organic standards, we mean it’s been cultivated with care for the land, without synthetic chemicals, in harmony with local ecosystems

Labels don’t tell the whole story

We honor certified organic farms, and we carry some certified organic teas. But we also believe in the deeper truth: that good tea comes from good land, tended with love. Certification helps—but it isn’t everything

We invite you to taste the care in every cup