WOW!!!! I have some great news!!! The world has a NEW global standard in essential oil production, called the GOLD standard. Scroll down to read all the juicy details! It explains what makes the Young Living oils so special.

Announcing The new GOLD Standard!!!

The Gold Standard is a class of excellencein essential oil production, and a commitment to ongoing improvement in both essential oil products and processes.

Young Living has been leading the way in developing this global standard. It is the ultimate benchmark within the essential oil industry – a benchmark which not only can be used to measure the performance and standard of any essential oil company; it will also encourage every essential oil company in the world to raise its standards, thus ensuring that our entire industry and millions of consumers benefit.

This standard doesn’t just look at the quality of essential oil production. It recognizes that companies like Young Living have the opportunity to change the lives of communities around the world, by providing jobs and opportunities for those less fortunate.

Unfortunately some of our major competitors strive for price differentiation through sourcing oils from farms where Fairtrade agreements are not in place, or where plants are not sustainably harvested.

In addition to the quality of essential oil production, the Gold Standard also requires that:

• Fairtrade agreements must be in place with suppliers (meaning that decent working conditions and fair wages are adhered to, for the empowerment of farmers and workers around the world)

• Plants are sourced sustainably, so that no plant is endangered through the production of essential oils

• Suppliers are correctly set up within their country of operation, and compliant with both local and USA laws

Ensuring future Supply for Young Living

With the essential oil industry growing at such a rapid pace, companies are in a race to secure essential oils long-term. Synthetic adulteration is rife within the industry, and many sub-standard suppliers are thriving due to the high global demand for essential oils.

Young Living is better poised than any other company for long-term sustainable growth.

This is because of our founder D. Gary Young’s decision to invest in corporate and partner farms. This gives us the ultimate certainty around essential oil production at the quality that Young Living demands.

Young Living currently sources 140 single oils, which are sold either as singles or as part of blends and other products in the range. These oils are sourced from only 3 types of suppliers, these being:

• Our corporate farms
• Our partner farms
• Our Seed to Seal Certified Suppliers

All of our suppliers, regardless of type, must meet or exceed the Gold quality standards. ie. the same quality is expected from all suppliers.

Before an oil is shipped to Young Living, an extensive list of documents must be supplied. Young Living will not accept any oil without this documentation, so suppliers work hard to get this right. These documents are reviewed, any inconsistencies are investigated, and once Young Living is satisfied with the documentation, the oil is shipped.

As part of the Gold Standard, Young Living tests the oil once it arrives at our warehouse, using a battery of different tests, to ensure that it matches the documentation. We validate every piece of data that is on those documents.

The Gold Standard requires these checks and balances, so that companies like Young Living which meet the Gold Standard can guarantee that their oils are pure and unadulterated, and can confirm that all oils are sourced from known and validated sources.

No matter how remote a farm is, Young Living staff do site visits to ALL of our suppliers

This includes corporate farms, partner farms and Seed to Seal suppliers. These inspections not only check the quality of production, and identify areas for further improvement (in working conditions, or how they are using their natural resources); they also lets the farmers know that what they are doing really matters.

Young Living staff investigate:

• How they keep track of inventory
• Their distillation methods
• The conditions of their workers, and what they pay
• Their business license (to ensure they are operating correctly in the country where they are doing business)
• Soil samples, water samples, and samples of essential oil as it comes out of the distiller.

We are gathering as much data as we possibly can, and analyzing it.

A significant number of Seed to Seal Certified producers have told Young Living that no other company visits them, or checks their documentation or production methods.

This is the greatest risk in the essential oil industry, because companies rely on the documentation of their suppliers. Too often, adulterated oils can slip through the cracks and be sold to unsuspecting buyers. We reassure our suppliers thatthese checks and balances are performed because we CARE!!!

Seed to Seal Certified Suppliers

For a company to become one of Young Living’s Seed to Seal Certified Suppliers, they must meet a tremendous amount of requirements and specifications.

Young Living conducts a supply risk assessment for every one of our suppliers:

• What is the long-term availability of that oil?
• What is the economic strength in that country?
• Are there issues that may cause them to fold?
• Do they meet the necessary Government regulations?
• If not, how can we assist them in meeting these?

They then undergo compliance training in both local and US laws. Finally, they sign a Seed to Seal declaration acknowledging their understanding and commitment to every step in the Seed to Seal process. If they violate any part of this process, Young Living will terminate the partnership.

Partner Farms

Over time, as Young Living’s relationship with these producers develops, we transition them to being a partner farm.

We are always looking for new partner farm opportunities, and we’d love all our suppliers to be partner farms.

We view these as long-term relationships that give us a guarantee of supply for many generations to come. We know we will have phenomenal sustained growth in Young Living, so this is an investment in our future. To that end we spend time on their farms, we bring them to our corporate farms, and we financially invest in their operation.

We want them to have the very best for us into the long term.

But it doesn’t stop there. We also look at what research they’ve done, and we actively partner with them inresearch and development projects, as this allows us to fully embrace the potential of each essential oil (including extending our US range of Over the Counter medicines).

One of the requirements of our partner farms is that we must be the only essential oil company to purchase their oils, ie. they supply exclusively to us. This is because of the IP we share with them, and the trusted relationship we have developed with them.

In addition to our 9 corporate farms, we now have 6 partner farms – giving us a total of 15 farms worldwide that we have financial investment in.

No other essential oil company on the planet has this!

Our partner farms are located in:

• Hawaii – Kona Sandalwood Reforestation Project (Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood)
• Taiwan – Cooperative Farm (Jade Lemon and other oils)
• Australia – Outback Botanical Reserve (Australian Blue Cypress)
• Australia – Quintis Sandalwood Album (Sacred Sandalwood). This is a pharmaceutical-grade facility, paving the way for a wide range of therapeutic claims about this oil, and any products containing this oil.
• Somalia – Boswellia frereana(Frankincense)
• Bulgaria – our newest partner farm (Roman Chamomile and Valerian)

Corporate Farms

Now we come to the ultimate in farming, and that’s our corporate farms. These are what we consider our “tier 1” suppliers, meaning they set the standard and are actively involved in farming and production innovation, which is then taught to our Partner farms and Seed to Seal Certified Suppliers.

We have 9 corporate farms around the world, producing oils such as Lavender, Black Spruce, Clary Sage, Peppermint, Melissa, Ylang Ylang, Oregano, Juniper, Lemongrass, Pine and many other oils. The corporate farms are located in:

• USA – St Maries, Idaho
• USA – Highland Flats, Idaho
• USA – Mona, Utah
• USA – Tabiona, Utah (Einkorn)
• Canada – Northern Lights
• Ecuador – Finca Botanica
• Oman – Salalah
• France – Simiane La Rotonde (Provence)
• Croatia (Split)

Just as we produce lasting change in people’s lives and in communities through the D. Gary Young – Young Living Foundation, we are also committed to achieving these changes through the development and implementation of the Gold Standard.

Young Living remains at the frontier of innovation, leaving a legacy that will positively impact individuals and communities for generations to come.

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