Organic Drinks
Organic Tea
Organic tea carries the USDA Organic seal, which covers how the tea leaves, herbs and any added flavorings were grown and handled, all the way to the company that packs the box. Fair Trade Certified and Rainforest Alliance seals are common on tea too, but they are separate programs and neither one certifies organic farming.
What organic means here
This page lists teas whose sellers state organic certification on their own pages, either as certified organic under the USDA program or by naming their certifier. Blends count only when the whole product is certified, not one ingredient. Fair Trade Certified is noted where the brand's page confirms it. We describe what is in the box, not what it does for you.
Look for
- The USDA Organic seal and a "Certified organic by" line naming the certifier
- An ingredient list where every tea, herb, oil and flavor is marked organic
- For loose leaf sold online, a statement that the packing facility is certified, not only the farm
- The fair trade program by name, if that matters to you
Be wary of
- "Made with organic tea" on a flavored blend: that is a lower tier and cannot carry the seal
- Herbal blends that promise a health result, whatever seal they carry
- "Natural" or "pure" on a box with no certifier named
Products that carry the certification
We have not tested these products. Each one was checked against the brand’s own page and the certifier’s records. Product links may be affiliate links: if you buy through one we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. How we choose.
Photo: Numi Organic Tea 1Numi Organic TeaTwo-ingredient Earl Grey tea bagsAged Earl Grey
- USDA Organic
- Fair Trade Certified
- Certified B Corporation
A black tea with two listed ingredients: Fair Trade Certified organic Assam black tea and organic bergamot oil. The product page marks it 100% certified organic, Fair Trade Certified, kosher and non-GMO, and lists the company as a B Corporation. The wrappers are described as plant-based and commercially compostable.
Good to know: "Non-GMO" on the page is the brand's statement, not the Non-GMO Project Verified mark. Compostable refers to commercial facilities.
Checked against: numitea.com
View at brand sitenumitea.com
- 2Arbor TeasLoose leaf, all-organic catalog
Organic black teas (loose leaf)
A loose leaf seller that states every tea and herb it sells is certified organic, and that its own warehouse and tea-packing facility is certified organic by Global Organic Alliance. Its black tea collection sits alongside green, oolong, rooibos and herbal collections.
Good to know: Only some of its teas are Fair Trade Certified, and the company explains why on its fair trade page. Check each tea's listing.
Checked against: arborteas.com · arborteas.com · arborteas.com
View at Arbor Teasarborteas.com
- 3Equal ExchangeSingle-ingredient black tea bags
Organic English Breakfast Tea
A black tea that the product page lists as 100% organic black tea leaves, certified organic by Oregon Tilth. One ingredient and a named certifier make this an easy label to check against the certifier's records.
Good to know: The product page does not name a fair trade certification program, so none is listed here.
Checked against: shop.equalexchange.coop
View at brand siteshop.equalexchange.coop
- 4Rishi Tea & BotanicalsOrganic loose leaf oolong
Iron Goddess of Mercy
An oolong sold as organic loose leaf tea. The company says it was among the first to earn organic certification under the USDA's National Organic Program, in November 2002, and that it supports growers who cultivate organic certified teas and herbs.
Good to know: The product page does not name the certifier. The company also sells sparkling drinks and powders, so check that the item you choose is labeled organic.
Checked against: rishi-tea.com · rishi-tea.com
View at brand siterishi-tea.com
Products with a photo are shown first; otherwise the order says nothing about quality. Certifications can lapse: check the certifier’s database before you buy.
What USDA Organic covers in a box of tea
Tea leaves and herbs are crops, so the USDA Organic rules apply to them directly. The seal means a certifying agent has reviewed how the plants were grown and how the product was handled and packed. The USDA says organic product labels must be reviewed and approved by an accredited certifying agent before they are used.
Plain tea is a single ingredient. Blends are where the label tiers start to matter, because bergamot oil, dried fruit, spices and flavorings all count toward the organic content.
Blends, flavors and the label tiers
The USDA defines four tiers. For tea, the middle two are the ones you will meet on a shelf.
| Label wording | What the USDA requires | Seal allowed |
|---|---|---|
| 100 percent organic | All ingredients organic, not counting salt and water | Yes |
| Organic | At least 95 percent organic ingredients | Yes |
| Made with organic (up to three ingredients) | At least 70 percent organic ingredients | No |
| Organic named in the ingredient list only | Less than 70 percent organic content | No |
Fair trade and other seals on tea
Fair Trade Certified is run by Fair Trade USA, which describes it as independent verification against social, environmental and economic standards. Tea is one of the products it covers. The Rainforest Alliance says its frog seal means the product, or a specified ingredient, came from farms audited against its own standard.
Neither program is an organic certification, and neither replaces the USDA seal. A tea can carry one, both or all three. Our guide to organic vs natural vs non-GMO covers the other words that show up on tea boxes.
Herbal teas and health claims
Herbal teas are often sold with promises about sleep, digestion or immunity. Organic certification does not review those promises. It covers how the herbs were grown and handled, and nothing else, so we list teas for what is in them.
Some herbs are not suitable for everyone. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or choosing tea for a child, ask your doctor or pediatrician first. Our page on organic pregnancy and nursing teas covers that group separately. For the bean side of the cupboard, see organic coffee.
Questions people ask
Does organic tea have to be fair trade?
No. They are separate certifications run by different organizations. USDA Organic covers how the tea was grown and handled. Fair Trade Certified, from Fair Trade USA, covers social, environmental and economic standards in the supply chain. Some sellers carry both on every tea, and others, as one pick above explains, offer fair trade on only part of their range.
Is a flavored tea still organic?
It can be. A blend sold as "organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients, and the remainder is limited to substances on the USDA's National List. The simplest check is the ingredient list: on a certified blend you will usually see each tea, oil and flavor marked organic, and the seal on the box.
What does "made with organic tea" mean?
It is the third USDA tier. The product contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients and may name up to three organic ingredients or ingredient categories on the front. It may not show the USDA Organic seal or describe the finished product as organic. It is a real, certified claim, but a weaker one.
Does the organic seal cover the tea bag?
The seal is a certification of the agricultural product and how it was handled. It is not a statement about what the bag, string or wrapper is made of. Brands that use compostable or plastic-free packaging usually say so separately, and those are the brand's own claims unless a certifier is named.
How can I confirm a tea company's organic certification?
Look for the certifier's name on the box or the product page, then search the company in the USDA Organic Integrity Database, which lists certified operations. For loose leaf bought online, it is worth checking that the company that packs the tea is certified, since repacking is a handling step.
Sources
Each page was opened and read on October 11, 2026.
Keep reading
DrinksOrganic CoffeeUSDA Organic coffee, and what Fair Trade, Bird Friendly and the frog seal add or leave out.
Maternity & PostpartumOrganic Pregnancy & Nursing TeasUSDA Organic pregnancy and nursing teas, what is in them, and what NIH says about the herbs.
Food & PantryOrganic SweetenersCertified organic cane sugar, maple syrup, coconut sugar and honey, and what the seal covers.