California-based Dr. Bronner’s, family-owned maker of a natural brand of soap in North America, has debuted a new short documentary, Journey to Pavitramenthe. The second in the company’s “Journey” series—which documents the people and the stories behind the organic and fair trade supply chains for Dr. Bronner’s products—introduces viewers to Dr. Bronner’s partners in Bareilly, India, where more than 1,500 small-scale farmers utilize regenerative organic agriculture practices on farms that average less than two acres each in size. The original eight-minute film, scored by composer Wayne Kramer and filmed and edited by Steve Jeter, includes interviews with farmers, Dr. Bronner’s leadership, and individuals who directly benefit from the community development projects funded by the fair trade premium paid by Dr. Bronner’s.
“Journey to Pavitramenthe highlights that Dr. Bronner’s is not just a brand name, it is a healing company. It not only walks its talk, it dances it, combining the highest regenerative agricultural practices with the fairest, kindest, social practices. I do not know of a company that does more per dollar for the earth and its people than Dr. Bronner’s,” said Paul Hawken, founder of Project Drawdown.
Located 170 miles east of Delhi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh near Nepal, Pavitramenthe farmers grow mint to supply mint oil for Dr. Bronner’s body care products. These farmers typically grow rotations of three crops per year and have, since 2016, begun to use regenerative organic agriculture practices. These include applying compost, using minimal tillage, growing cover crops, vermicompost pits and other techniques that increase the biomass content in depleted soils, build soil fertility, foster microbial life and facilitate sequestration of atmospheric carbon. Over time, these regenerative organic practices increase product yields, improve soil health, water-holding capacity and resilience, and thus build resiliency among rural agriculture communities in the face of climate change.
“In a regenerative organic supply chain, every person along the way, from the farmer to the end consumer, reaps the benefits of a healthier product, and long term positive impacts on the health of the local and global environment,” said Gero Leson, vice president of special operations with Dr. Bronner’s. “Fair trade premiums directly fund projects that further increase the social and economic impact of the regenerative model, resulting in improved quality of life and economic opportunities for farmers, their families and communities. This video helps consumers understand the connection between opting for a responsibly manufactured product, and the effect regenerative organic supply chains have on small-scale family farmers around the world.”
Pavitramenthe was founded in 2015 with support from Dr. Bronner’s, as part of the company’s ongoing mission to establish certified organic and fair trade sources for all its main raw materials. Pavitramenthe works directly with farmers to increase knowledge and skills for implementation of regenerative organic agriculture practices. Since 2015, Pavitramenthe and the project’s fair trade committee have jointly invested over $500,000 of fair trade premium received from Dr. Bronner’s in community development projects. These funds have been used toward support of farmer training and development including investing in large-scale compost operations, as well as health care, education, water and sanitation infrastructure, and skill development for women.
To watch the documentary, visit www.drbronner.com/journey.
