PROUD TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW BOTTLES
Harmless Harvest is committed to reintroducing people to the goodness and joy of plant-based foods which is why we developed a proprietary multi-step micro-filtration process that allows us to bypass pasteurization while still maintaining the taste and nutrients of the coconut water as it is in the coconut; and we are committed to being harmless to our planet which is why we just launched new packaging that reduces the plastic in our bottles on average by 24%. YES! We are super proud of it!
SOURCING AND MANUFACTURING
Like everything nature makes, not all coconuts are created equally. Our uniquely fragrant coconuts are grown using organic agroforestry methods in Thailand, where we've also built a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
Click to enlarge.
We use the tastiest variety of coconuts in the world. To maintain their distinctive flavor, we grow our coconuts in isolation from other coconut varieties. Our young green coconuts are picked by hand after growing for six to seven months when the water and meat composition are appropriately balanced. During harvest, the coconuts are lowered to the ground by rope to prevent damage. Then they are collected, often via boats traveling through canals that border the palms. While the process sounds picturesque, the reality is that this is very hard work. We have worked tirelessly with experienced experts and farmers in Thailand in order to sustain lasting organic coconut cultivation and prove that production does not need to be destructive.
Just hours after the coconuts are picked, the water is processed in our cutting-edge facility that employs members of the community, creating stable jobs where the coconuts are grown. Because we use proprietary systems without mixing or homogenizing the coconut water, each bottle reflects the unique flavor of individual coconuts.
Click to enlarge.
Check out the nutritional facts for Original Coconut Water here.
NEW PROCESS – MULTI-STEP MICRO FILTRATION
Above: Factory workers in Thailand. Below: Coconuts fresh from the farm.
After the water from our coconuts is extracted through our proprietary processing, the coconut water passes through a multi-step micro-filtration process, allowing the great flavor and nutrients of Nam Hom coconut water through, while keeping things like bacteria out. With this pioneering process developed closely with the FDA to ensure the best food quality and safety, we are able to deliver a best-in-class product that is never thermally pasteurized, never homogenized, never from concentrate, and always delicious.
Click to enlarge.
Our efforts go back to the communities at the source, ensuring fair trade and social accountability for all members involved in our chain of custody through our Fair for Life certification. By closing the loop from plants to workers and workers to partners, we are committed to sharing the welfare we create.
ORGANIC FARMING AND SOCIAL IMPACT
From day one, we chose organic ingredients as a non-negotiable aspect of our products.
Organic certification is the only way to verify that specific practices are being implemented. These foods are never irradiated and are produced without the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), relatively recent technologies without sufficient research proving their safety. The certification also confirms food is produced without the use of persistent pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or sewage sludge. Not only do these substances use energy and resources in their production, they also contribute to soil degradation and ocean dead zones. Without organic certification, there is no way to prove that organic practices are used.
There are no guidelines regarding the word (or any variant of the word) “sustainable.” Without any certification program, there is no proof needed to make the claim that a company or product is sustainable. When we speak about our sustainability, we are speaking of our ecosystem-based business model.
Because we don’t thermal-pasteurize or sterilize our products, they’re only as good as the ingredients that go inside. Forming partnerships with communities that value quality and organic farming practices is rooted in our attention to long-term growth. These partnerships offer a stable option for employment and income where there once was none.
Happily, our promise of a long-term presence is acting as an incentive to others. We are in a position to help certify farmers who convert to organic farming methods and are approved through audit. This creates healthier environments with less chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and communities with long-term steady incomes.
After four years of planning and work, Harmless Harvest succeeded in obtaining our Fair for Life - Social & Fair Trade Certification in 2014.
Our partnership with Fair for Life means making the deliberate choice to increase the level of difficulty and complexity in almost all facets of business. The certification means that Harmless Harvest is committed to paying fair prices for goods like our coconut water. The price takes into account what ingredients cost, factoring in living wages for all those involved in its growth, harvest, and production. We will not do business with an entity that has cut corners at the expense of its workers or the environment. Additionally, Fair for Life mandates a premium to fund improvement projects that are determined by the people who are intended to benefit from them, rather than an outside agency.
With this partnership we are establishing our commitment to long-term relationships with like-minded businesses, even when that commitment could negatively impact our bottom line. In a world where small entities are regularly decimated when their large accounts abandon them in favor of short-term cheaper options, we are building and sustaining partnerships that understand the inevitable highs and lows of business, particularly in the farming sector.
Extensive audits are performed yearly, with the results posted on Fair for Life’s website. Here are our results so far:
Rather than simply sticking a label on our packaging for a marketing boost, we chose an expert, long-term partner to help us continuously improve our social practices from plant to shelf. This is an achievement that we share with the retailers and customers that believed in us early on. It is only through their support, and the resources that came with it, that we have been able to reinvest in our local communities in Thailand and the United States.
PINK IS OK
Variation is a part of nature. We embrace it.
Coconut water contains naturally occurring variations in levels of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, that can turn pink. All of our coconut water is clear when bottled; however some bottles turn pink with time when the antioxidants interact with light.
Darker pinks are usually associated with a higher expression of PPO (polyphenol oxidase), one of the many active enzymes in our water. A higher PPO count can be due to the particular crop, season, etc.
We could use additives to hide the color change, but then we would not be embracing nature. Pink bottles are just as delicious and safe to drink as the others. Pink or clear – they’re both delicious.
NUTRITION FACTS
