Numi Organic Tea

Numi Organic Tea is an American organic tea brand and social enterprise based in Oakland, California. Founded in 1999 by brother and sister Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani, the company takes its name from numi, an Arabic-derived term associated with citrus, and from the dried-lime tea the founders drank during their childhood in Iraq. That family and cultural reference became part of the brand's identity as it developed a portfolio centered on organic tea, herbs, and recognizable whole ingredients. Numi's range includes bagged tea, loose-leaf tea, iced tea, gift products, and related tea items. Its portfolio spans green, black, white, oolong, and pu-erh teas, as well as herbal infusions such as rooibos and honeybush. The company has also been associated with flowering teas, including a Bamboo Flowering Tea Gift Set, and with expanding pu-erh's visibility in the United States through a dedicated product line. Numi states that its blends use organic and fair-trade-certified tea leaves and herbs together with real ingredients, while avoiding artificial flavorings, so-called natural flavorings, and fragrances commonly used in beverage products. Certification and sourcing are central to the brand's positioning. Numi's teas are USDA certified organic, and many products carry Fair Trade certification. In 2010, the company was recognized as the largest U.S. purchaser of Fair Trade Certified teas. This emphasis places Numi within the premium natural-food and ethical-consumption segment rather than competing solely on conventional tea pricing or mass-market scale. Environmental packaging and corporate purpose are also important parts of Numi's public profile. The company is described as a triple-bottom-line social enterprise and a founding B Corporation. Its conventional tea bags use biodegradable filter paper rather than petroleum-based silk-style materials. Product boxes use recyclable board containing a high proportion of post-consumer recycled content and are printed with soy-based inks without plastic overwrap. In 2020, Numi introduced commercially compostable, plant-based wrappers for tea products. The brand has also been identified as Climate Neutral certified, reflecting a commitment to measuring, reducing, and offsetting annual carbon emissions. Numi remains privately owned, with The J.M. Smucker Company holding a minority stake. Its public identity continues to combine organic certification, fair-trade sourcing, ingredient transparency, packaging innovation, and a founder-led story rooted in Iraqi heritage. Available reference material does not establish a complete account of its international distribution, current executive structure, revenue, or precise ownership percentage.

Numi Organic Tea was established in 1999 in Oakland, California, by siblings Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani. The founders drew the name from a dried-lime tea associated with their childhood in Iraq; the word has an Arabic connection to citrus. This origin story gave the company a distinctive cultural foundation while its commercial focus developed around organic tea and herbal infusions. From its early development, Numi positioned itself around certified organic ingredients, fair-trade sourcing, and blends made with real ingredients rather than artificial flavorings, added fragrance, or so-called natural flavorings. The brand's assortment expanded beyond conventional tea categories to include green, black, white, oolong, pu-erh, honeybush, rooibos, flowering teas, iced tea, loose-leaf formats, and gift products. Numi became particularly associated with bringing a complete pu-erh offering to the U.S. market. In 2005, it introduced a full line of flowering teas and a Bamboo Flowering Tea Gift Set. These products are formed from tea leaves hand-sewn around flowers and designed to open when steeped. Numi's certification and ethical sourcing profile became more prominent over time. All of its teas are described as USDA certified organic, while many are Fair Trade Certified. In 2010, Numi was recognized as the largest U.S. brand purchaser of Fair Trade Certified teas. The company consequently became a notable example of a purpose-oriented tea business operating within the American natural-products market. The brand also developed a packaging and climate strategy intended to reduce environmental impact. Numi uses biodegradable filter-paper tea bags instead of silk-style bags commonly made with petroleum-derived materials. Its boxes are recyclable, contain 85 percent post-consumer waste according to the cited reference material, use soy-based inks, and avoid plastic wrapping. In 2020, the company introduced commercially compostable plant-based tea wrappers. The wrapper construction was described as combining sugarcane-based non-GMO PLA, a metalized eucalyptus layer, and FSC-certified paper, with testing intended to address ecological impacts during breakdown. Numi is described as a triple-bottom-line social enterprise and a founding B Corporation. It is privately owned, although The J.M. Smucker Company holds a minority stake. The available reference material does not provide the date or terms of that investment, nor does it establish a complete list of current officers, detailed international markets, financial performance, or later corporate developments. On the documented record, Numi's history is defined by founder-led development, expansion of specialty tea categories, organic and fair-trade certification, and efforts to align packaging with its social and environmental positioning.

• 2020

  Plant-based compostable wrappers introduced

  [1]Numi Organic Teaen.wikipedia.org

  Numi introduced commercially compostable wrappers made with plant-based and certified paper materials.

• 2012

  Pu-erh range expanded

  [1]Numi Organic Teaen.wikipedia.org

  The company added five pu-erh flavors to its existing bagged pu-erh tea line.

• 2010

  Recognition for Fair Trade purchasing

  [1]Numi Organic Teaen.wikipedia.org

  Numi was recognized as the largest U.S. brand purchaser of Fair Trade Certified teas.

• 2005

  Flowering tea line introduced

  [1]Numi Organic Teaen.wikipedia.org

  Numi introduced a full flowering-tea line, including the Bamboo Flowering Tea Gift Set.

• 1999

  Numi is founded in Oakland

  [1]Numi Organic Teaen.wikipedia.org

  Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani founded Numi Organic Tea in Oakland, California, building the brand around organic tea, herbal infusions, and a name inspired by dried-lime tea from their Iraqi childhood.

Premium organic and fair-trade tea with an emphasis on real ingredients, cultural heritage, ethical sourcing, social enterprise, and lower-impact packaging.

• Tea

  Organic bagged tea

  Numi's core format consists of certified-organic tea and herbal blends in individual filter-paper bags. The portfolio includes green, black, white, oolong, pu-erh, and herbal varieties. The brand emphasizes real ingredients and avoids artificial flavorings, natural flavorings, and fragrances in its formulations.

• Fermented tea

  Pu-erh tea

  Numi developed a full line of pu-erh products for the U.S. market and later expanded its bagged pu-erh assortment. Five additional flavors were added in 2012, making pu-erh one of the brand's documented specialty-category focuses.

• Specialty tea · 2005

  Flowering tea

  Numi's flowering teas are hand-sewn bundles of organic tea leaves and flowers that open during steeping. The line, introduced in 2005, includes the Bamboo Flowering Tea Gift Set and is designed to combine tea drinking with a visible presentation ritual.

• Tea

  Loose-leaf tea

  The brand sells loose-leaf versions of selected organic tea offerings, extending its range beyond individually portioned bags for consumers who prefer preparation with an infuser or teapot.

• Ready-to-serve tea

  Iced tea

  Iced tea is part of Numi's broader tea-related portfolio, giving the brand a cold-serving format in addition to hot brewed tea and loose-leaf products.

• 2020

  Shift toward commercially compostable wrappersStrategy

  Background

  Packaging reduction and material choice were consistent with Numi's social-enterprise and environmental positioning.

  Action taken

  The company introduced commercially compostable, plant-based tea wrappers using sugarcane-based PLA, eucalyptus, and FSC-certified paper components.

  Aftermath

  The change extended Numi's packaging program beyond recyclable cartons and biodegradable filter paper, though the available source does not quantify its environmental or commercial effect.

  Source

• 2012

  Expansion of the bagged pu-erh rangeGeneration change

  Background

  After introducing a full pu-erh line to the U.S. market, Numi continued developing the category within its packaged tea portfolio.

  Action taken

  Numi added five new pu-erh flavors to its existing bagged pu-erh line.

  Aftermath

  The documented expansion broadened the company's specialty-tea selection, although no sales or market-share outcome is available in the cited material.

  Source

• 2005

  Launch of a full flowering-tea rangeProduct launch

  Background

  Numi expanded its specialty-tea offer beyond conventional leaf categories and sought to make flowering tea available as a branded product line.

  Action taken

  The company introduced a full flowering-tea line and the Bamboo Flowering Tea Gift Set.

  Aftermath

  The launch became part of Numi's documented product history and reinforced its emphasis on distinctive tea formats and giftable presentation.

  Source

1. 1Numi Organic Teaen.wikipedia.org