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Blog post 
“We are not slaves. We are not animals. We all are humans.”
• • Photo: Tea picker strike in Munnar. Credit: Countercurrents.org (via BBC World Service) The strike that shook up India’s tea industry…
Tea News Update 
October News Update 2025
THIRST Tea News Update October 2025 Workers carry freshly plucked tea leaves at the Chota Tingrai estate, in Tinsukia, Assam, India, July…
Blog post 
Joining forces: Dignity for Women in Tea
• • Tea plantation workers – South India. Photo: THIRST, 2023 Announcing a new partnership with Women Working Worldwide THIRST is delighted…
Root Causes of Human Rights Breaches in Tea
After three years of in-depth and on-the-ground research, THIRST has identified the 10 root causes of human rights breaches in the tea sector. These findings are underpinned by an understanding of how the tea industry works and the context in which it operates. Any company or organisation engaged in transforming the tea sector to improve the lives of tea workers and farmers are highly recommended to assess their plans against these root causes.
What we do
We work with a diverse range of stakeholders in the industry to find solutions this complex and deeply embedded set of problems. By doing so, we begin to address two of the root causes of human rights breaches: lack of collaboration and lack of transparency. This enables us – in collaboration with companies, civil society and governments – to tackle all the other root causes and gradually start to transform the tea industry.
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Knowledge Hub
THIRST offers this unique resource, free of charge to all those seeking to transform the tea industry. It brings together over 130 resources on human rights and environmental issues in the tea sector. Browse the Knowledge Hub to inform your research, campaign or project, and let us know about your new reports for us to add.
The research papers resources pulled together by THIRST and resources found on their website have been so helpful for my own learning as Head of legal, human rights and sustainability at an international tea company. Many of my colleagues in sourcing countries also refer to the website for updates and analysis which they have found incredibly helpful too”.
Zahra Afshar, Ahmad Tea
Head of legal, human rights and sustainability
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