SIMPLi earns Regenerative Organic certification for quinoa and lupini beans

ROC is a new certification for food, fibre and personal care ingredients that assures shoppers that their purchase makes a positive impact at every level: environmentally, ethically, and socially. Before being eligible for ROC, farms must first hold USDA organic certification and a social fairness certification, like Fair for Life. ROC then adds further criteria to ensure farms and products meet the highest standards in soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. The bronze, silver and gold levels require farms and businesses to phase in more rigorous regenerative organic practices over time.

“The responsibilities of farmers and food producers, and the role they play in our supply chain are imperative to the health of our planet,” said Sarela Herrada, co-founder of SIMPLi. “Our quinoa and bean producers becoming Regenerative Organic Certified validates our work and ongoing commitment to source ingredients that meet the strictest quality standards, all while ensuring consumers have access to nutrient-dense products that improve the livelihoods of farmers and restore our environment.”

“Using indigenous agricultural practices as our guiding principles, we source and work with farmers to grow crops that optimise our operation to limit carbon footprint,” said Matt Cohen, co-founder of SIMPLi. “By focusing on sustainable ingredients such as quinoa, amaranth, chia seeds, and lupini beans, and farming practices like conservation tillage, cover crops and crop rotation, rotational grazing, no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and composting, we’re taking significant steps forward in ethical food production on a global scale.”

To date, SIMPLi’s regenerative organic agricultural practices and certification has helped reduce food fraud in the international supply chain by over one million pounds since SIMPLi products were introduced into the market, and has helped ensure nearly 300 farmers receive fair compensation and increased profitability.

“It has been wonderful to work with SIMPLi on their ROC journey,” said Elizabeth Whitlow, executive director of the ROA. “SIMPLi’s dedication to invest in their supply chains and find ways to work with their farmers to implement practices that will increase soil health and carbon sequestration is completely in alignment with our mission: to heal a broken system, repair a damaged planet, and empower farmers and eaters to create a better future through regenerative organic agriculture.”