Why is THIRST supporting Typhoo’s Fear Free Tea initiative?

THIRST has agreed to join Typhoo’s Fear Free Council, along with members of Typhoo’s senior ESG team, the NGO Women Working Worldwide and the consultancy T-Evolve. Our jointly published paper ‘Consent: risk factors for gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the tea sector’ has strongly informed Typhoo’s new approach, which is partly why they have chosen us to be on the Council.

The Council’s role is not to support the initiative blindly, but – along with our fellow Fear Free Council members – to “approve procedures to prevent and address GBVH within Typhoo’s black tea supply chain and monitor their performance… offer expert advisory and oversight of the broader Fear Free approach, and to positively influence practices across the wider industry.”

We have not taken this decision lightly as it would put our own reputation and credibility at risk if we were seen to be supporting ‘purple-washing’ by any company; in other words, a company whose marketing and communications is “proclaiming their support for gender equality or women’s rights, without actually taking concrete or significant action towards this cause” (Republik.ca)

There were two things that gave us confidence that Typhoo is acting in good faith and is committed to “actually taking concrete action” towards ending GBVH in the tea sector.

Firstly, it has radically changed its sourcing model  – reducing its suppliers to a handful of companies who they know to be working on the issue of GBVH.

Secondly, it has boldly spoken out about the issue on its packaging and other communications.

These two factors (both visible on their website) along with the passion and commitment with which Typhoo – from the seniormost leadership down – speaks about the issue, has convinced us that this is an initiative worth supporting.

One of the key pillars of THIRST’s mission is “collaborating to find and develop innovative and practical solutions” to human rights breaches in the sector. So, while we acknowledge that there may be other, possibly equally effective approaches to ending GBVH in tea – we feel it is our duty to back companies who have had the courage to speak out on GBVH and to change their purchasing practices (as civil society often urges them to do) to make change on the ground more likely and more long lasting.

Typhoo will pay the external members of the Fear Free Council a consultancy fee for our work, knowledge and expertise. We will conduct this work with the honesty and rigour that we would any other consultancy. The terms of reference that outline our agreement with Typhoo gives us the freedom to speak out publicly if we have any major concerns, so we are confident that we can hold them to account.

In our opinion, Typhoo’s initiative will, at the very least, greatly raise awareness of the issue of GBVH in the tea sector among consumers and investors. It will also allow us to test a particular approach to ending GBVH in the sector and to draw valuable lessons from this that can be applied to other places where tea is produced. This will enable other companies to consider what they can do to tackle this egregious and endemic problem, and how they can keep the women who make the tea industry possible safe from harm. And that is why agreed to be part of the Fear Free Council.

“THIRST welcomes Typhoo’s radical new approach to tackling GBVH in the tea sector. We take our role on the Fear Free council very seriously, and will apply the full extent of our knowledge and experience on this issue to help ensure that it genuinely delivers on its promise to move towards a future in which women working in tea are free from fear of abuse.” Jane Nyambura, Chair of THIRST