Ingredients matter. To ensure the exceptional quality of our Nutrilite supplements and Artistry skin care products, we don’t take any shortcuts when it comes to finding the purest, safest and most effective botanical ingredients.
That’s why we own nearly 6,000 acres of certified organic Nutrilite farmland across two continents where we maintain control over which botanicals are grown, how they’re planted, what nutrients they’re given, when they’re harvested and how they’re processed.
That includes one of the largest certified organic herb farm in the U.S. and one of the largest certified organic acerola cherry farms in the world. In fact, Nutrilite is the only global vitamin and dietary supplement brand to grow, harvest, and process plants on our own certified organic farms.*
Stories from our farms
It’s all part of our commitment to sustainable farming that began with the first harvests more than 80 years ago and continues today as we grow botanicals used to make ingredients for both Nutrilite and Artistry products.** Each of our four Nutrilite farms are certified organic, and they also have their own unique stories based on climate and location.
We are bringing you those stories from our farms, starting with Nutrilite Rancho El Petacal, 1,589 acres (643 hectares) of certified organic farmland in southwestern Mexico. The farm has a temperate climate with plenty of sunshine and rainfall, and soil that is enriched with minerals thanks to a nearby volcano. Some of its key crops are spinach, white chia, pomegranate and rosemary.
“Nature is our best partner, so here at our organic Nutrilite El Petacal Farm, we work with nature, not against it,” Nutrilite Farms Manager said. “From replenishing nutrients in the soil to maintaining plant biodiversity, our goal is to keep our footprint small and improve the health of our land.”
Organic pest control
Harsh pesticides and chemicals have no place on a certified organic farm, so when it comes to fighting pests we have to find natural – and sometimes creative – solutions.
At El Petacal, that includes using things like sprays made from cinnamon, hot peppers or garlic extract, which can deter bugs and make the crop distasteful to mice who might want to munch on it.
During harvest time, it also means scaring away any nearby birds with a booming air cannon that can be heard for miles.
“Sending the birds flying helps keep our crops free from any contamination such as droppings or stray feathers,” Nutrilite Farms Manager said. “The air cannons may be loud, but it’s another safe, non-toxic way to help ensure our botanicals are pure, safe and effective.”
Organic fertilizer
We do everything we can to not only protect the soil but improve it and to ensure our crops get all the nutrients they need. At El Petacal, the soil and crops are irrigated with water that is infused with two different types of organic fertilizer – one thanks to hundreds of thousands of worms, and the other thanks to synthetic cows.
Each year, our onsite worm farm produces more than 260,000 liters of liquid biofertilizer. Our red California worms work nonstop to help us turn our leftover spinach, kale and broccoli powder into a liquid organic fertilizer our plants and soil love.
We also have eight 80-liter tanks that we use to create an organic, cow-like manure to fertilize our crops. The “cows” are fed a steady supply of dried alfalfa leftover from our manufacturing process along with amino acids, minerals, healthy fungi, milk products and microorganisms. Over the course of 15 days, that mixture transforms into a rich, liquid fertilizer filled with beneficial microbes that nourish our crops.
Conserving water
All our crops eagerly soak up the water we give them, but one actually needs to grow in it—watercress. There is a lot of potential for excess water use for that crop, but we’ve taken steps to conserve water—an important resource for the rest of our crops and our surrounding community.
Our sustainably operated watercress pond has a complex system that allows us to monitor, filter and recirculate water all to help reduce water waste. One square meter of our pond uses 350 liters of water in 50 days. Without our pond recycling system, the same square meter would use 22,153 liters of water in the same timeframe. That’s almost 22,000 liters of clean water available for other uses.
Organic weed control
As we said, no harsh chemicals here. Instead of relying on harshl herbicides, we hand weed our crops, keeping our farm as clean, pure and safe as possible.
And some of those weeds that would be killed with wide-spread spraying of herbicides actually help our biodiversity by preventing soil erosion.
Lots of paperwork
We take pride in every batch of material that leaves our certified organic Nutrilite farm, which also means we have strict quality control procedures like consistent sanitizing, avoiding cross contamination and documenting each plant along every step of its journey.
Our efforts to meticulously tend and nurture the soil and the plants that grow there are rewarded with nutrient-rich botanicals that carry a birth certificate of their story—one that can trace the crop’s life on the farm.
“It’s all part of ensuring our ingredients are pure, safe and effective,” Nutrilite Farms Manager said. To learn more about our farms visit nutrilitetraceability.com.
* Source: Euromonitor International Limited, www.euromonitor.com/amway-claims.
** Unless stated on the product label, Nutrilite products and ingredients are not organic.
