Background

Why a human rights impact assessment of the tea industry was needed

• Breaches of the human rights and labour rights of tea workers and farmers have been reported for many decades.
• Women form the majority of workers in the lowest-paid roles, and in addition bear the burden of unpaid domestic work. They are vulnerable to abuse and discrimination at work and face severe consequences for speaking out on their rights.
• Most often those who work in tea plantations as either permanent or seasonal labour are from marginalised communities based on ethnicity, caste, tribal identity and nationality. These already disenfranchised communities are further impacted by the ways in which they are treated within the tea industry.
• Most Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIAs) are company-led – these can lead to improved corporate behaviour, but they may miss important nuances of workers’ and farmers’ views and can only have limited impact on systemic issues beyond their individual supply chain. For example, the HIRA of the supermarket chain Lidl GB’s Kenyan tea supply chain found that “Most impacts result from market dynamics and the way that suppliers and producers within Lidl’s supply chain operate, as opposed to resulting solely from Lidl’s direct activities.” (THIRST’s HRIA found that the way that brokers, traders, buyers, consumers and standards bodies operate also have a significant impact.)
• Tea plantation workers are highly dependent on their employers for a range of benefits, they receive very low cash wages and are often located in physically isolated areas – it is important, therefore to assess their situation against the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Forced Labour Indicators.

Our approach

Phase 1: Assessment (2021 – 2022)

In year one we conducted a literature review to understand the wider context and begin mapping reported human rights impacts. This provided the big picture of the tea industry workings, an overview of human rights, laws and standards that apply to the tea sector, and tea workers’ and farmers’ realisation of them in practice. It identified a significant gap between human rights in principle and human rights in practice for tea workers and farmers.

This work is documented in our report Human rights in principal and practice

Phase 2 – Analysis: (2023 – 2024)

In year two we consulted a wide range of tea industry stakeholders and experts to understand the root causes of the human rights principle-practice gap against a framework of international standards. We also conducted field and desk research into alternative approaches to tea production, trading and business models and assessed how these address the root causes.

These findings are documented in our report Root Causes of Human Rights Breaches.

Phase 3 – Action: (In progress)

During the process of consulting with tea industry stakeholders for the first two phases of this study, we encountered numerous examples of people taking a different approach to the traditional colonial model. These included alternative business models, employment practices and trading systems. In year 3, we began documenting these approaches and hosting webinars by their instigators in order to share the lessons across the sector and across different geographies.

We also began to work with stakeholders throughout the tea value chain to put the findings into practice. For example, we are working on a pilot to seek transformative yet achievable solutions to the decline of the embattled Darjeeling tea industry. Using our root cause analysis as a guide, we are seeking changes at plantation level, producer level, buyer level and consumer level. We will provide more information about this as the initiative develops.

Phase 4 – Accountability

In subsequent years, we will monitor and report on the impact of these solutions on tea workers and farmers, and assess the need for further research and/or action, fostering learning on positive initiatives. We will continue to encourage and facilitate dialogue between civil society and the tea industry in order to hold duty bearers to account for realising human rights in the tea sector.

Methodology

For our study of human rights in the tea sector – essentially a human rights impact assessment of the industry as a whole – we have employed a range of methodologies.

These include literature reviews, interviews with key stakeholders throughout the tea value chain, focus group discussions (for example, with UK supermarkets, and with ETP members), surveys (notably an online survey of tea producers in a range of countries), and site visits.

Technical advisors & consultants

Technical Advisors

• Caroline Brodeur Business and Human Rights Specialist, Oxfam America
• Céline Gilart Head of Social Impact & Sustainability, Twinings
• Ella Frankel Senior Advisor: Food, Farming & Fisheries, Ethical Trading Initiative
• Jenny Costelloe Executive Director, Ethical Tea Partnership
• Justin Rippon Tea Procurement Consultant
• Narendranath Dharmaraj Strategic Advisor and Operations Consultant in Tea and former Chief Executive, Harrisons Malayalam
• Ottilie Cunningham Tea Buyer, Fortnum & Mason

Consultants

• Alysha Shivji, Doctoral Researcher in the Business and Human Rights Catalyst at the Alliance Manchester Business School
• Caroline Sloan, Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes Business School
• Ishan Rajasuriya, independent consultant, tea maker/owner Oddington Tea, former ETP Regional Manager, SriLanka