ITC Spices, with its commitment to exceeding customer expectations, is paving the way for food-safe, sustainable chillies with consistent quality and supply. Chilli farmers working with ITC are certified for Rainforest Alliance (RFA), which means that they follow sustainable agricultural practices that protect vegetation, rivers, soils and wildlife, while being good community neighbours. Rainforest Alliance certification also ensures that workers have fair wages and improved access to dignified living conditions, healthcare and education for their children. In 2016, Chilli farmers working with ITC were audited for RFA Certification, in which they secured a score of 92.5%, which is among the highest for annual crops in the country.
The certification is crucial in today's times, considering the growing public awareness about food safety, as environmental variables such as toxins, chemical residues, pathogens and adulterants such as dyes continue to pose a high risk to food products. At ITC, the focus has always been to service the customers with the right product, build relevant capabilities in terms of manpower, infrastructure, crop development and sourcing to ensure product quality.