We traced our kratom from farm to doorstep, then published what we found, including the gaps
Why we're releasing this report
Kratom sits in a strange position. Millions of Americans use it, but there is no federal quality standard, and the leading industry program is voluntary. That means the word "ethical" gets attached to kratom all the time, with almost nothing behind it. Any vendor can say it. Very few can show it.
We decided to show it. This report sets a clear standard for what ethical sourcing should mean in our category, then measures us against it, in public, with our name on the results. We did it because we think a company that asks you to put its product in your body owes you more than a marketing promise. It owes you a supply chain it is willing to open up.
We also did it knowing the report would not come back perfect, and we published it anyway. Two of the five areas we measured came back partial, not strong, because we have not yet commissioned the independent audits that would make those claims verifiable. We could have left those parts out. We think leaving them in is the whole point.
Download our full 2026 Ethical Sourcing Report: the complete 12-page report covers our five-pillar standard, our batch testing process, our full scorecard and the steps we are taking next.
Report summary (key takeaways)
- The Authentic Kratom Ethical Sourcing Report 2026 measures the company's supply chain against a five-pillar standard for ethical botanical sourcing.
- Authentic Kratom is rated strong on origin transparency, fair compensation and quality testing.
- Authentic Kratom is rated partial on sustainable harvesting and labor practices, because independent third-party audits do not yet exist.
- Authentic Kratom sources directly from named family farms in Indonesia and Thailand and tests every batch through a third-party laboratory in the United States.
- No kratom company holds FDA approval, and the report treats regulatory engagement as transparency rather than endorsement.
- Authentic Kratom published the report with its gaps included, as a transparency commitment rather than a marketing exercise.
How we put the report together
We combined our own supply chain records, sourcing relationships and testing history with independent desk research into the global kratom trade, the US regulatory landscape and the American Kratom Association GMP program. Then we scored ourselves against a five-pillar framework, using conservative ratings, so that "strong" only appears where we can back it with evidence.
Key facts at a glance
- Authentic Kratom was founded in 2013 and is one of the longest-operating kratom companies in the United States.
- Authentic Kratom sources directly from family-owned farms in Indonesia (since 2013) and Thailand (since 2022), rather than through anonymous brokers.
- Every batch is tested by a third-party laboratory in the United States, and Authentic Kratom has independently tested more than 1,000 production batches.
- Testing covers mitragynine and alkaloid content, heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium), and microbial contaminants such as Salmonella and E. coli.
- Founder Abdullah Mamun has been a member of the American Kratom Association since 2017 and has worked with legislators, scientists and regulators on science-based standards.
The standard we held ourselves to
There is no federal quality standard for kratom in the United States, and the American Kratom Association's Good Manufacturing Practice program is voluntary. So we defined what ethical sourcing should mean, through five pillars:
- Origin transparency: knowing and evidencing the producing regions and farm relationships behind a product.
- Fair compensation: paying farmers and harvesters above prevailing commodity rates as a matter of policy.
- Sustainable harvesting: working in a way that protects the long-term health of the trees and surrounding land.
- Quality and safety: independent testing for alkaloid content, contaminants and purity.
- Labor practices: fair and safe working conditions across the chain, ideally confirmed by independent audit.
No industry-wide certification against all five criteria currently exists for kratom, so this report is a transparent self-assessment against a standard we are proposing for the category.
How we scored, and where we can do better
We did not round up. Here is how Authentic Kratom rated against each pillar:
| Pillar | Rating | Basis and gaps |
|---|---|---|
| Origin transparency | Authentic Kratom works with named family farms in Indonesia and Thailand, with sourcing centred on Kalimantan, and documents its farm visits with photography and video. | |
| Fair compensation | Suppliers are exclusively family-owned, Authentic Kratom pays premium prices as policy, and premium-grade Thai material can cost close to three times comparable Indonesian leaf. | |
| Sustainable harvesting | Traditional hand-harvesting and long-term relationships point to environmental care, but no independent environmental audit exists yet. | |
| Quality and safety | Authentic Kratom has run third-party batch testing since 2013, re-verifies every lot independently, and screens for alkaloids, heavy metals and microbial contaminants. | |
| Labour practices | Family farms and above-market pay are in place, but no independent third-party labor audit has yet been commissioned. |
We are not hiding those two partial ratings. Our environmental and labor practices are real, but they are not yet independently verified, and commissioning that verification is our clear next step rather than something we will quietly hope you overlook.
In our founder's words
"If you invest in quality at the source, quality follows throughout the entire supply chain." Abdullah Mamun, Founder, Authentic Kratom.
"We pay a premium because quality starts with the people cultivating and processing the product." Abdullah Mamun, Founder, Authentic Kratom.
About Authentic Kratom
Authentic Kratom is a United States kratom company founded in 2013 by Abdullah Mamun. Authentic Kratom sources directly from family-owned farming and processing partners in Indonesia and Thailand, including long-standing Indonesian partners Hamid and Muhammad and Thai suppliers Ms. Pang and Mr. Sukum. The company's model prioritises direct farm relationships, premium pricing for growers, and independent laboratory testing of every batch.
Frequently asked questions
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Authentic Kratom rates strong on origin transparency, fair compensation and quality testing in its 2026 Ethical Sourcing Report, and partial on sustainable harvesting and labor practices, where independent audits do not yet exist. Authentic Kratom sources directly from named family farms and tests every batch through a third-party laboratory.
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Authentic Kratom published the report because there is no federal quality standard for kratom, which makes "ethical sourcing" claims difficult for consumers to verify. The company set a five-pillar standard, measured itself against it, and published the results, including its gaps, as a transparency commitment.
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Authentic Kratom sources directly from family-owned farms in Indonesia, with sourcing centred on Kalimantan, and from family-owned suppliers in Thailand. Authentic Kratom has worked with Indonesian partners since 2013 and Thai partners since 2022.
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Yes. Every batch is tested by a third-party laboratory in the United States for mitragynine and alkaloid content, heavy metals, and microbial contaminants. Authentic Kratom independently re-verifies each lot rather than relying on supplier certificates, and has tested more than 1,000 batches since 2013.
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No. The FDA has not approved any kratom product and maintains an import alert treating kratom as an unapproved dietary ingredient. No kratom vendor can claim FDA approval. Authentic Kratom treats regulatory engagement as a matter of transparency, not endorsement.
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It is a voluntary industry standard that requires an annual independent third-party audit. Membership in the Association and GMP Qualified status are separate things, and the Association verifies only that an audit was passed rather than endorsing product quality.
Read the full report
Our complete 2026 Ethical Sourcing Report covers the global kratom supply chain, our five-pillar framework in full, our batch testing and verification process, our full scorecard, and our next steps toward independent labor and environmental auditing. If you want to know what you are putting in your body and where it came from, this is the most open account we know how to give. Download the report and see the whole chain, from forest to doorstep.