Traditional Medicinals
California, United States
August 2010
Manufacturing
United States
In 1974, community activist Drake Sadler and fourth-generation herbalist Rosemary Gladstar launched Traditional Medicinals, a medicinal herbal tea company. With the goal of reviving herbalism in North America, they traveled to the source of medicinal plants—often in remote, rural areas. On their travels, they were shocked to discover the poor social, living and working conditions of the mostly indigenous and impoverished herb farmers and wild collectors. Following the principles of right livelihood, the company pioneered a new ethical sourcing model by promoting organic agriculture, developing long-term equitable and fair trading relationships, and investing in these sourcing communities. Over four decades later, their teas are still formulated by herbalists, sourced responsibly and tested for quality by plant scientists. Their purposeful mission continues through your conscious choice to support Traditional Medicinals. Hoping to empower consumers to take responsibility for their own health, Traditional Medicinals believes in creating the highest quality products by considering every step of the process from their farms to your pantry, from sustainability and responsible sourcing, to social business practices. Plant Power for a Better You® isn’t just a tagline—it’s our mission.
Overall B Impact Score
Governance 17.9
Governance evaluates a company's overall mission, engagement around its social/environmental impact, ethics, and transparency. This section also evaluates the ability of a company to protect their mission and formally consider stakeholders in decision making through their corporate structure (e.g. benefit corporation) or corporate governing documents.
What is this? A company with an Impact Business Model is intentionally designed to create a specific positive outcome for one of its stakeholders - such as workers, community, environment, or customers.
Governance 17.9
The Governance Impact Area evaluates a company's overall mission, engagement around its social and environmental impact, ethics, and transparency. This section also evaluates the ability of a company to protect their mission and formally consider stakeholders in decision making through their corporate structure (e.g. benefit corporation) or corporate governing documents.
What is this? A company with an Impact Business Model is intentionally designed to create a specific positive outcome for one of its stakeholders - such as workers, community, environment, or customers.
Workers 21.6
The Workers Impact Area evaluates a company's contributions to its employees' financial security, health and safety, wellness, career development, as well as overall engagement and satisfaction. In addition, this section recognizes business models designed to benefit workers, such as companies that are at least 40% owned by non-executive employees and those that have workforce development programs to support individuals with barriers to employment.
Community 41.1
The Community Impact Area evaluates a company's engagement with and impact on the communities in which it operates, hires from, and sources from. Topics include diversity, equity, and inclusion; economic impact; civic engagement; charitable giving; and supply chain management. In addition, this section recognizes business models that are designed to address specific community-oriented problems, such as poverty alleviation through fair trade sourcing or distribution via microenterprises, producer cooperative models, locally focused economic development, and formal charitable giving commitments.
What is this? A company with an Impact Business Model is intentionally designed to create a specific positive outcome for one of its stakeholders - such as workers, community, environment, or customers.
Environment 36.3
The Environment Impact Area evaluates a company's overall environmental management practices as well as its impact on the air, climate, water, land, and biodiversity. This includes the direct impact of a company's operations and, when applicable, its supply chain and distribution channels. This section also recognizes companies with environmentally innovative production processes and those that sell products or services that have a positive environmental impact. Some examples might include products and services that create renewable energy, reduce consumption or waste, conserve land or wildlife, provide less toxic alternatives to the market, or educate people about environmental problems.
What is this? A company with an Impact Business Model is intentionally designed to create a specific positive outcome for one of its stakeholders - such as workers, community, environment, or customers.
Customers 8.7
The Customers Impact Area evaluates a company's stewardship of its customers through the quality of its products and services, ethical marketing, data privacy and security, and feedback channels. In addition, this section recognizes products or services that are designed to address a particular social problem for or through its customers, such as health or educational products, arts and media products, serving underserved customers or clients, and services that improve the social impact of other businesses or organizations.
What is this? A company with an Impact Business Model is intentionally designed to create a specific positive outcome for one of its stakeholders - such as workers, community, environment, or customers.
Previous Overall B Impact Scores
Best for the World
Each year, B Lab releases lists honoring the top-performing Certified B Corporations overall as well as within each Impact Area.