How we’re funded
THIRST is funded through donations, grants, consultancy fees, roundtable ticket sales and contributions from tea industry stakeholders. We always retain total independence and objectivity.
Stakeholder investment
In keeping with our mission to “bring all tea sector actors together to… tackle the root causes of tea workers’ and farmers’ hardships at a systemic level”, we invite tea sector stakeholders to invest in our work. This means that THIRST’s work is funded through a mix of grants, consultancy fees and contributions from tea industry stakeholders who share our vision of a resilient tea industry in which workers and farmers are empowered and their human rights are realised.
Although many of our webinars and events are free, we do charge for participation in our key roundtable discussions. This not only contributes to our income, but also ensures that they are attended by the most committed stakeholders.
Retaining our independence
Wherever our funds come from we ensure that we retain our independence and our freedom to speak out if we identify practices that put tea workers’ and farmers’ human rights at risk, even if these concern organisations that are funding our work.
Every funding agreement includes the following clause to ensure this freedom:
“Each party fully acknowledges that the agreement to provide a contribution to THIRST (i) in no way limits the independence of the other party, (ii) does not give any party authority to exercise influence over any public-advocacy work that the other party may from time to time engage in.
Each party specifically acknowledges the right of the other party to speak out publicly on matters deemed contrary to such party’s position on any issue. This includes the right to speak out on any aspect of the other party’s social, economic, and environmental policy, practice, and performance.”
Working towards our vision
We only undertake consultancy work which furthers our vision of a resilient tea sector in which tea workers and farmers are empowered and their human rights are realised. This may take the form of helping companies to draft human rights policies, reviewing their policies to ensure that they are robust, conducting human rights risk or impact assessments, briefing senior management or buying teams on human rights in the sector etc.
Contributing stakeholders
Organisations and companies that have funded THIRST’s work to date include the following. Contributors may also be partners, working in collaboration with THIRST and other organisations to help realise our shared vision of a resilient tea sector that’s fair for all:
- IDH Sustainable Trade
- Fairtrade International
- Oxfam GB
- Tesco
- Aldi Nord
- The Cooperative
- Ahmad Tea (partner)
- Teekampagne (partner)
- Network for Social Change
- Ethical Trading Initiative (THIRST is a member of ETI)
- Twinings
- Rainforest Alliance
- 101 Partners