We all want to get the purest products available and this is why terms like “organic” frequently show up in the marketing of substances like kratom. “Organic” is one of those words that have been hijacked by marketing departments, contrasting with the reality of a given product to varying degrees.
That said, the underlying reason for why people are in the market for organic kratom is entirely valid. They want a product that is safe to use and has been farmed in a sustainable, eco-conscious manner. Here is what you need to know about kratom farming, manufacturing, and quality assurance so you can feel good about your kratom source, but first a quick disclaimer.
Our descriptions of certain types of kratom as more or less organic do not constitute and should not be construed as a claim that kratom is certified as organic by the USDA. The USDA uses a specific set of criteria and regulations to certify a foodstuff as organic. Some of these criteria do not apply directly to kratom. More than that, the FDA hasn’t approved kratom as a dietary ingredient or supplement, leaving the USDA with no impetus to consider kratom products for organic certification. We think it’s important to consider how different cultivation and manufacturing processes make kratom better or worse for human consumption as well as the environment, but we make no claims that our kratom is certified organic.
When it comes to quantifying organic kratom, you might look over some of the best practices of the kratom brands affiliated with the American Kratom Association’s (AKA) Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards program. Looking over some of the qualities that these leaders in organic kratom offer, several qualities arise.
This type of farming forgoes any sort of chemicals to develop the kratom to a harvestable state. That means they only use organic fertilizer and forms of pest control that have existed for centuries if not millennia. Golden Monk works with kratom farms in Indonesia that ensure this type of responsible organic farming for our customers.
Lesser brands are willing to maximize their profits by cutting the percentage of actual kratom in each product. This allows them to stretch their kratom supplies further. Kratom adulterated with potentially dangerous fillers is a serious health threat. Often, these companies eventually face FDA seizures of their product and civil action, but you don’t want to risk running into these types of products in the meantime. Again, stick to GMP-approved vendors to minimize your risk.
It’s one thing to say that your products are as natural as they can be and quite another to have that claim verified by a lab. Any trustworthy vendor of organic kratom will be more than willing to display their lab results, either on the product’s packaging or their brand website. These brands understand that you only want the best. Verified lab testing may be the last push a potential buyer needs to make a purchase.
Most suppliers of high-quality kratom, including Golden Monk, are in the business for the long run. These businesses prioritize providing a quality substance on a regular basis over maximizing short-term profits by over-farming and over-harvesting their kratom to the detriment of the plant and soil quality. Sustainable practices in farming and producing kratom entail factors like having a small pod of dedicated farmers harvest the leaves.
The average person may not know this, but it takes at least three years for a kratom tree to produce leaves worth harvesting. Even so, the leaves from top-tier strains of kratom may require two decades or more of development. Responsible stewardship of the local ecosystem also includes maintaining the health of the canopies which grow over kratom trees and help to foster their best possible path of sustainable cultivation.
If you want to be sure that your kratom experience is safe and eco-friendly, be sure to get your kratom from companies with a vested interest in the health of its patrons and the trees that provide their product. You should be always looking for the sort of companies that have shown their work through processes like testing their product within a laboratory and complying with the AKA’s GMP standards program. The good news is that even with such strenuous requirements, there are several brands committed to following these best practices including Golden Monk.
