Peppermint

Promoting positive impact through regenerative practices

An aromatic perennial herb cultivated in many regions of the world, Peppermint is a hybrid of watermint and spearmint. Some think it was first used by the British, but evidence shows that it was used in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.  Today it can be found in farms across Europe, the Middle East, in Asia and in North America.

Peppermint has dark green leaves with jagged edges and reddish veins. While generally cultivated for commercial use, the fast-growing herb also spreads quickly and can be found in the wild, particularly in deep, humid soil. Fresh or dried, its leaves are used in herbal teas or as a culinary herb.  Essential oil extracted from the leaves is also widely used as a flavouring in food, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.  From chewing gum to toothpaste to shampoo to candy, Peppermint is one of the most popular flavours generally speaking, and the top selling candy flavour in non-chocolate hard candies. Traditionally, Peppermint has been known medicinally for its soothing properties, particularly for the stomach and as a natural remedy for indigestion, nausea or to relieve common cold symptoms or headaches.

For Worlée NaturProdukte GmbH, a member of UEBT since 2018 and part of a family-run business operating in Hamburg, Peppermint is sourced from the northern part of the Nile Delta region in Egypt where it is a source of income for small-scale traditional farmers. These farmers sell their Peppermint, among other cash crops, for food and cosmetic purposes.  Men and women are both involved in farming, with women growing and planting seedlings and men harvesting the leaves with hand sickles four times per year from May to September. Worlée NaturProdukte GmbH buys the raw material from these farmers and processes it into cut or powdered Peppermint that is then sold to their clients around the world.

Despite strong demand for the herb, many traditional livelihoods are under threat because the Nile Delta floodplains, which have been farmed for more than 5,000 years, have been rapidly degrading due to overpopulation, dam construction and conversion of the floodplains to permanent agricultural land. Previously, these floodplains were farmed for only parts of the year after the floods receded, depositing their sediments and nutrients upstream and keeping soil fertile.

In addition, the Nile river is contaminated by chemical runoff from agriculture. Consequently, the structure, function and species composition of the ecosystem has been altered, resulting in loss of precious ecosystem services such as purified water that is crucial for farming, food safety and farm families’ health.

The company, with the support of UEBT, has begun implementing a “Biodiversity Action Plan” Worlée NaturProdukte GmbH has planned actions in their own supply chains to both reduce negative impacts on the ecosystem and to promote positive impacts.

Farmer trainings during covid-19

First, they analysed the threats and possible actions and hired consultants to train farmers on good agriculture practices and to define further actions. Some of these practices include composting, crop rotation, replacing damaged vegetation with native plants, and more. A work plan was defined that can be monitored in the future, and UEBT provided a framework for actions through its Ethical BioTrade standard.     

The company is pleased with these plans and says "when joining the UEBT/Rainforest Alliance Herbs & Spices Programme and implementing it in Egypt, we saw a great potential to have a positive impact on people and biodiversity. We recognised that the farmers faced different challenges such as a lack of knowledge on how to record field management practices, the loss in nutrients through burning crop residues and unsuccessful pest control. However, on the other hand, the ecosystem was high in biodiversity, no hazardous agrochemicals have been used (because the farms are organic certified) and no heavy machines have been used. Therefore, we wanted to conserve positive effects of traditions and expertise, and additionally to protect biodiversity, enhance crop quality and improve the income level of the farmers and their families. We really hope to pick the fruits of our plan and actions and achieve our goals within the next three years."

Note: This story was published January 2021 and reflects the company’s supply chain for Peppermint at that time.

Farmer training on composting techniques