A gem in a rocky landscape

Our rooibos is grown by farmers at the Wupperthal Original Rooibos Co-operative, a democratically organized group of small-scale farmers who have grown rooibos plants in South Africa for generations. Small-scale farmers are very rare in the plantation-dominated rooibos industry. These farmers were pushed off the most fertile land in the 1800s and later endured segregation imposed by apartheid. They now grow food in the very dry, rocky soil of the Cedarberg Mountains which presents a big challenge for most of their crops. With Rooibos, however, the slower growth and lower production have resulted in notably higher quality tea compared to plantation Rooibos which is grown on the most fertile lands. Today, the vast majority of rooibos production is on plantations with white landowners, making Wupperthal a true gem in a rocky landscape.