FAIR TRADE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Holy Lama Naturals is recognized in Kerala as a Government-approved women’s enterprise, where over 80% of the factory workers are women. Most come from disadvantaged backgrounds (i.e. widowed or deserted by a partner). In a traditionally male-dominated society, factory employment offers these women much-needed self-confidence and independence. Holy Lama Naturals acts as a family to its workers, and women of all ages, castes and religions are welcome. Our practice is guided by the concept of Kudumbashree: ‘The enhancement of a less-privileged family through empowering the women.’

Our factory is semi-automated, which means many of our products are almost fully hand-made. A lot of care, attention and love goes into the making and packing of each and every item. Whilst the outer packaging may not appear precise and clinical, what’s inside each bottle or jar is guaranteed to be consistently amazing.

Based purely on word-of-mouth and strong, constant support from local suppliers and the local community, Holy Lama Naturals has grown in a sustainable, organic manner.

The raw materials used for manufacture are sourced primarily from local farmers in Kerala and rest of India, building upon over seven decades of strongly-established relationships with farmers. The business runs on a no-credit principle, meaning all farmers and raw material suppliers are paid immediately. The factory pays fair wages to staff, and fair prices to the farmers.
In developing communities, there is sometimes an inequality in wages for men and women; but, as a female-centric enterprise, Holy Lama Naturals ensures equal pay irrespective of gender. We also provide annual wage increases in line with inflation, so wages are assured, no matter how low the market falls. Our wages are better than those offered by surrounding factories, and locals are always keen to find employment with us.

We produce Ayurvedic medicine to treat Parkinson’s Disease in the local community, supplying this free of charge as a charitable donation. This gesture is in loving memory of Diwakar Deo (Vijay Deo’s older brother), who lived with the disease for over 3 decades.
All of our products are predominantly made from natural ingredients, avoiding the use of harsh chemicals or synthetics. Wherever possible, we use sustainable materials for packaging.During manufacture, the factory produces less than 1% wastage, and all waste is used as fuel or cattle feed – thus our carbon footprint is exceptionally low!
We are proud to be a member of British Association for Fair Trade Shops & Suppliers (BAFTS) .We support cruelty-free production, oppose animal testing, and have our products registered with the Vegan Society.Our company was founded on fair trade principles and sustainable manufacturing. Accordingly, we are as passionate about creating our products without causing any negative effects to people or environment as we are about the products themselves.