20 Million Acres. One Commitment.
Across the American South, more than 20 million acres of yaupon grow wild and resilient, rooted in sandy soil, nourished by sun and rain, steady as the land itself. At CatSpring Yaupon, we believe we are not owners of this plant, but stewards. From our earliest harvests, we committed to always sustainably wild-harvesting organic yaupon, honoring its native ecology, protecting its future, and ensuring that what we gather today remains abundant for generations to come.
Now, we are proud to share that this commitment has been independently verified through FairWild Foundation certification.
This milestone is more than a seal. It is a reflection of who we have always been.
What Fair Wild Certification Means for CatSpring Yaupon
Fair Wild Certification is a global certification system created specifically for the sustainable wild collection of plants, fungi, and lichens. Unlike most fair trade or organic standards, which primarily focus on cultivated crops, FairWild was designed to address the unique ecological and social realities of harvesting plants directly from the wild.
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Ecological sustainability — ensuring wild plant populations are carefully assessed, monitored, and harvested at sustainable yields
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Fair trade and social responsibility — ensuring collectors are paid fairly and communities benefit from the trade
In short, FairWild closes a gap that long existed in certification systems. Organic standards regulate agricultural inputs. Traditional fair trade certifications focus on farming systems. But wild harvesting requires something more nuanced, resource assessments, management plans, regeneration safeguards, and transparent pricing structures designed specifically for wild ecosystems.
It is the only certification created exclusively for wild-harvested species worldwide.
Why This Matters for Yaupon
Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) is not cultivated in rows like conventional tea. It grows wild, in thickets, along fence lines, beneath canopies. Resilient and often overlooked.
For decades, much of the global botanical industry has relied on wild harvesting without robust ecological oversight. FairWild changes that by requiring:
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Formal resource assessments to determine sustainable yield
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Science-based harvest management plans
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Traceability through the supply chain
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Annual third-party audits by independent control bodies
For CatSpring Yaupon, this aligns seamlessly with our existing operating framework, what we call our Four Restorations: personal, social, industrial, and ecological renewal .
FairWild strengthens our ecological restoration practices while deepening our social commitments.
FairWild & Organic: Complementary, Not the Same
It’s important to understand: FairWild is not the same as organic certification.
Organic certification regulates agricultural inputs, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides. It can apply to wild crops, but typically does not include detailed guidance on sustainable yield calculations or comprehensive wild resource management.
FairWild goes further in the context of wild harvesting:
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It requires documented ecological assessments
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It restricts harmful chemical inputs
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It mandates both environmental and social compliance
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It provides higher assurance for sensitive or threatened species
Many operations pursue dual certification because the two standards complement one another. For us, organic speaks to purity. FairWild speaks to relationship.
Fair Wild Honors the People Behind the Leaves
Fair Wild requires fair compensation and safe working conditions for harvesters. At CatSpring, that philosophy aligns with our People First Initiative creating dignified rural employment and second-chance opportunities.
As an indigenous woman owned company founded by Abianne Falla of the Chickasaw Nation, this work is deeply personal. Caring for yaupon also means caring for rural Texas, investing in steady jobs, restoring working lands, and ensuring opportunity stays local.
A Global Standard, Rooted in Texas
There are no geographic restrictions to FairWild certification. It applies anywhere wild plants are harvested responsibly. Since its first certifications in 2007, most FairWild-certified products have been herbal teas and now yaupon proudly joins that list.
For a plant native to North America and for a company rooted in Texas soil this recognition matters. Yaupon is the only naturally caffeinated plant indigenous to this continent. It once sustained Indigenous communities for centuries. Today, it carries that legacy forward, stewarded with care, verified with rigor.
Looking Ahead: Growing Without Losing Our Roots
Becoming Fair Wild certified isn’t the end of a process for us,it’s a guide for how we grow from here.
Yaupon tea is gaining awareness. More people are discovering America’s only native caffeine and seeking energy that feels steady and grounded. As that interest expands, so does our responsibility.
Growth should never outpace care.
Fair Wild gives us a structure to ensure that as demand increases, integrity increases with it. That expansion remains measured. That a native tea can reach more mugs without losing its connection to place.
Thoughtful growth.
Clear standards.
A future built with intention.
Rooted in Responsibility
For us, this certification reflects something deeper than compliance. It reflects how we’ve always believed yaupon should be shared.
This native tea has long offered smooth caffeine and steady joyful energy. Now that commitment is visible, extending from the land itself to the rural Texas communities who make this work possible.
When you brew yaupon tea, you’re holding something carefully tended and thoughtfully carried forward. That matters to us. And we hope, in a quiet way, it matters to you too.
We’ll keep tending it, one cup at a time, while you sip yours.
