Badger's Organic Background Badger began selling Healthy Body Care products in October of 1995. We’ve always created our products from simple natural ingredients and we’ve used Certified Organic ingredients for years. We believe in processing without the use of chemicals. We also believe that when it comes to body care, “plants soothe and chemicals confuse”! In our opinion, organic agriculture results in ingredients that are better for people and better for planet. And we believe that compassionate, sustainable organic agriculture is both the legacy of the past and our hope for the future. We strongly support the USDA organic standard, but we don’t stop there. We believe that true organic agriculture goes beyond the elimination of synthetic chemicals and pesticides. We’re looking toward whole-system agriculture that respects and protects farmers, ecosystems, producers, our esteemed customers, and the land that we all share. Our goal at Badger is to take our Organic Certification as a first step on a road toward cultivating a higher standard for ingredients from the farm and forest to you. We are working towards sourcing ingredients that are grown in harmony with their respective ecosystems, traded fairly, and processed with thoughtful intention. Trustworthy Organic By adhering to the USDA Organic Standard, Badger offers our customers products of the highest quality, with ingredients and processes that are validated by a noted and respected third party certifying agency. This means, consistency and transparency. You can read the labels and trust what you get. USDA Certified Organic Basics The National Organic Program (NOP) was created in 1990 after congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) to ensure that agricultural products marketed as “Organic” would meet consistent and uniform standards. A certified organic product is made from ingredients grown and processed without chemical fertilizers, growth hormones, GMOs, or synthetic pesticides. The product must meet minimum criteria for production, handling, processing, labeling, and certification standards in order to make any claims regarding USDA organic certification. The USDA Organic Program has four categories for certification, all available for personal care products: 1. 100% Organic: A product must contain 100% organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt) and may prominently display the USDA organic seal and the percentage. 2. Organic: A product must contain at least 95% organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt), and may prominently display the USDA organic seal. The remaining percent must be organically grown if commercially available or consist of a non-agricultural substance that is on the USDA Organic approved ingredient list. 1. All Badger Balm Tins, Lip Balms and Massage Oils meet the standard for the first two categories! 2. Made with Organic Ingredients: A product must contain at least 70% organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). The products may not display the USDA Organic seal but may highlight up to three organic ingredients. 3. Less than 70% Organic Ingredients: A product contains organically grown ingredients, but may not use the term “Organic” unless specifically listing USDA certified organic ingredients on the back panel. The USDA organic seal may not be displayed. As of August 1st 2008, over 90% of Badger’s products will be 95% to 100% USDA Certified Organic. This guarantees that the utmost care was taken in the sourcing, selection and preparation of our ingredients. Why are some of our products not USDA Certified? Badger sunscreen, SPF lip balm and diaper cream cannot bear the USDA seal, as they contain a high percentage of zinc oxide. The USDA considers zinc oxide a “non-agricultural” ingredient, and because the percentage used in these products exceeds 5% they cannot bear the USDA seal. Our Body Butters contain mostly organic ingredients, but we are in transition regarding packaging. Rest assured that all products still contain ingredients that are USDA certified organic. Read our labels and you will see! Page Up