11/13/2021
Why do we source Helichrysum essential oil from Albania?
With Albania’s long and dry summers, Mediterranean climate, and rich soil, helichrysum grows well on the hills near Tirana, Albania’s capital city, and Koplik, near Lake Shkoder in northern Albania.
Our distillation partner in Albania offers farmers multiyear contracts—something uncommon in Albania. Farmers usually just hope and trust they’ll get a good price for their crops at the end of the season, not knowing what kind of “discounts” a buyer might apply to the final selling price after unknown costs of transportation or last-minute quality assessments. In contrast to these unfortunately common practices, farmers contracted by our partner know the price they’ll receive for their raw materials from the beginning. There are no surprise discounts. The three- to five-year contracts our partner offers farmers absorb price fluctuations and allow farmers to plan for the future. Because of these fair and reliable practices, the number of farmers growing helichrysum for our partner has grown from 15 in 2015 to more than 215 in 2021. Most of these contracted farmers are women.
Along with providing contracted jobs to farmers in rural Albania, the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation® has also contributed to improving school bathrooms in farming communities. Most rural schools in Albania lack an indoor bathroom, and those with an indoor facility rarely have enough toilets, running water, or even separate facilities for boys and girls. Without proper bathrooms, many students—especially girls—drop out from school, contributing to the gender gap in education. The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation helped fund a complete renovation to school bathrooms for three farming communities in Albania, which has already resulted in increased school attendance for girls. We continue to find new social impact projects for the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation to fund in these Co-Impact Sourcing® communities.
By sourcing Helichrysum essential oil from Albania, doTERRA® supports ethical sourcing practices that provide farmers with a fair, stable income. From multiyear contracts to school bathroom renovations, doTERRA is committed to improving the circumstances in which these producers and their families work and live.
Learn more at https://loom.ly/kTLeaM4