Frontier Co-op was one of the first suppliers to actively advocate organic products and organic agriculture — and we're thrilled with the strong and steady growth of organics in the natural products, and now mainstream, marketplace.

We carried our first organic products in 1978, and became a certified organic processor as soon as that program was available. Today we offer a vast array of organic products — herbs, spices, teas, foods and personal care products. We have over three decades of experience in organics — and a dedicated, expert staff that continues to expand our selection and provide the best quality organic products available.

For many people, the word organic means without chemicals — and this is a crucial requirement. Organic products must be grown on land that has not had synthetic fertilizers, growth regulators, insecticides, or herbicides applied to it for a minimum of three years. This is one of many conditions that must be met by organic growers and manufacturers in order to meet the federal government standards for organic certification.

But there's more to it than that. The values of organic agriculture extend well beyond the rules governing certification. Organic farmers are committed to the health and well being of workers, the environment, and consumers. They work continually to restore, maintain and enhance the environment, respecting the delicate balance of nature and the integrity of the products being cultivated. They are advocates of sustainable agriculture — growing practices that enrich the land for the crops of the future rather than deplete it.

As the National Organic Standards Board explains it, the goal of organic agriculture is "to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people."

We believe organic agriculture is a crucial element in building a safe and sustainable international food supply and that the basic values of organic agriculture — concern for people and the environment — are crucial to the well being of us all.

Our Simply Organic brand supports programs that provide healthy, organic food options for those facing food insecurity and organic growers through its Simply Organic Giving Fund. We have given more than $2 million to organic projects since 2001. 

Our organic sales increase as a percentage of our total sales every year — and all new products added to any of our lines must be certified organic. We work to build a market for organic crops to ensure farmers have an outlet for those crops once they switch to organic growing methods. We also maintain a fund to support farmers in transition from conventional crops to organics by paying organic premiums on their transition crops.

We have a deep and long-standing commitment to organics at Frontier Co-op, and we're proud to have been — and continue to be — a leader in our support of organic agriculture.