As 2023 is our 75th Anniversary, we’re celebrating the first ever scent that Dr. Bronner’s ever sold: Peppermint. Not only one of our best loved scents, the story of how we source the mint oil is a perfect example of how our fair trade partnerships create mutual benefit for us and our partners.
As one of Emmanuel Bronner’s Cosmic Principles – which define our most important relationships, and guide us in everything we do, from soapmaking to peace making- being fair to suppliers is a priority for the brand, building relationships with organic farmers and producers to create equitable supply chains, creating fair prices for farmers, living wages and excellent working conditions for workers, investment in communities, respect for land and people.
Pavitramenthe Partnership
Dr. Bronner’s uses a blend of oils from two mint species, peppermint (mentha piperita) and corn mint (mentha arvensis). The organic and fair trade peppermint oil in this product is sourced from Pavitramenthe, Dr. Bronner’s partners in Bareilly, India, where more than 1,500 farmers utilise regenerative organic agriculture practices. The menthol in the peppermint oil activates cold-sensitive receptors in the skin, mimicking an icy feeling. Mint oils are our most used essential oils—their cooling properties are what make our peppermint soaps and All-One Toothpastes so refreshing, and they give our peppermint soap its famous tingle!
Since 2004, both species were grown for us at smallholder projects in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, some 250 miles east of Delhi. The project now involves over 1,200 smallholder farmers who have been converting their farms to organic practices and certification. Their small fields, typically less than 2 acres, are farmed in rotation, using 2 or 3 different crops every year.
Environmental Improvements
Previously, through decades of intensive cultivation, including use of chemical fertilizers and frequent ploughing, the silty/loamy soil had been depleted and contained little organic matter (humus). In order to help farmers rebuild their soils and make the latter more productive and resilient, Dr. Bronner’s initiated a comprehensive “soil regeneration” project in 2017, with financial support from the German aid agency GIZ.
We purchased a compost turner that would eventually produce some 10,000 metric tons of compost from a range of agricultural waste products. Compost will be sold to farmers at a subsidy, supported by the sale of carbon credits. Farmers will also be supported through training, hardware and seed supplies, with the shift to conservation tillage, and the planting of cover crops and nitrogen fixing leguminous rotations crops, such as beans and lentils, for sale in the EU. A large-scale planting program for fruit trees, shade trees and other beneficial trees, such as neem, a source of natural pesticide, is also underway.
Social Change
Since its formation in 2015, the project has also made great strides in community development. In addition to agricultural projects, such as vermicompost pits, Pavitramenthe has facilitated and funded medical camps, the construction of home toilets and the distribution of water coolers for drinking water. These projects were paid for by the fair trade premium received from Dr. Bronner’s, the project’s primary buyer of organic mint oil.
Another project targets development of skills and income opportunities for women. Many women in Bareilly and its surrounding communities make sarees for the domestic and international marketplace. The project has been working with women artisans to improve their working conditions through better tools and lighting. This kind of skills development, along with an extensive capacity-building program for farmers to teach regenerative organic techniques, is a key element in the overall regenerative program funded by GIZ.
For a deeper look into our partnership in Pavitramenthe, watch a video here
Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint in 2023
Since it first came to be in 1973, right up until now, the skin tingling feel, has been causing a stir since day 1, and its spicy reputation is making it a viral sensation to this date, with a very loyal fanbase and cult-like reputation. Don’t believe us? See it for yourselves!
It’s no wonder this particular TikTok video has over 500K views with @hazelluve saying she ‘got out of the shower and stepped into the north pole’ after using this soap.
Do you love you Peppermint scent? Always remember to tag us on social media so we can enjoy your fun responses!
Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honouring the vision of our founder Dr. E.H. Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating our profits to helping make a better world. “All-One!”