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sustainabletimes
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Q. Why take the decision to obtain
Rainforest Alliance certification for
the Tetley brand globally?
A. Recent surveys suggest 57% of the
public believe tea drunk out of home
should be ethically sourced. I believe
figures like this will only continue to
increase. People are starting to ask
a lot more questions about where
their food and drink comes from
and they’re looking for independent
assurances of a company’s sourcing
policies and sustainability activity.
That’s where schemes like the
Rainforest Alliance can play a key role.
Our Tetley commitment means that
the number of cups of tea from
Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms
will increase to circa 100 million in
the UK. Supporting farms to become
Rainforest Alliance Certified™
benefits our business, the tea estates
and the tea pickers we work with.
Over 82,000 smallholder farmers
were trained under our 2010/11
certification programme with
Rainforest Alliance.
Q. The Rainforest Alliance
commitment which will eventually
see 100% of the Tetley blends
coming from certified farms is
scheduled for completion by 2016
– why will it take so long?
A. Given the size of the Tetley brand and
the volumes of tea that we source,
there is a significant amount of work
to be done on the ground to ensure
farms become and remain certified.
It’s been a long journey to get to
where we are today, but that’s a good
thing.What we’re trying to achieve
is big – it’s not about a lick of paint
on the odd farm fence but significant
long term changes for the farms and
farmers.
In order for a farm to be accredited,
it has to meet the environmental,
social and economic standards of
the Sustainable Agriculture Network
(SAN). These standards cover eco-
system conservation; worker rights
and safety; wildlife protection; water
and soil conservation; agrochemical
reduction; decent housing; and legal
wages and contracts for workers.
Q. Critics have questioned the cost of
some ethical schemes and asked
whether they are robust enough –
what are your thoughts?
A. The aim is to help embed more
sustainable agricultural practices and
help farmers improve their efficiency,
quality and yield, which in turn
can lead to improved profitability
and more sustainable livelihoods.
There are costs associated with
certification, some of which are
picked up by the estate itself, the
rest by other players including
companies like ours. For us, the cost
to our business should be seen as
an investment in making our supply
chain more sustainable over the
long term.
Q. Ethical labels can be a minefield;
at the last count there were more
than 80 ethical and food assurance
schemes – why choose the
Rainforest Alliance?
A. We considered all available, relevant
certification schemes in detail, taking
into account a range of criteria and
we decided the approach taken by
Rainforest Alliance is best able to
support the Tetley brand.
Q. What does this mean for
consumers?
A. Our consumers will be able to enjoy
their favourite Tetley blend knowing
it has been produced in a way that
respects the environment and the tea
growers and pickers.We are delighted
to be working with the Rainforest
Alliance who is well positioned to
support a brand with the scale and
reach of Tetley in providing this
assurance.
Achieving 100 per cent inclusion
for all Tetley packs will provide us
with a major supply chain that is
better secured. At the same time our
customers will know that by choosing
it they have helped to protect the
environment on tea estates and
provide sustainable livelihoods for the
people there.
Q. How are you engaging with
consumers so that they can make
an informed and ethical choice?
A. As part of communicating our
collaboration with the Rainforest
Alliance, Tetley has developed
a social media initiative called
‘Farmers First Hand’. It is a Facebook
campaign that enables consumers to
communicate directly with some of
the communities that produce tea as
they work towards Rainforest Alliance
certification. This helps to open up a
dialogue between tea producers and
tea drinkers rather than relying solely
on communicating our work with the
Rainforest Alliance on pack. You can
join the page and chat to some of
the farmers at
www.facebook.com/
TetleysFarmersfirsthand
.
One giant leap
for sustainability
Tetley, the world’s second largest manufacturer
and distributor of tea, has committed to
purchasing all of the tea for its branded teabag
and loose tea products from Rainforest Alliance
Certified™ farms. All Tetley branded black, green
and red (Rooibos) teas, including flavoured
and decaffeinated varieties, are part of the
certification programme. Here, Ria Kearney,
Sustainability Manager Tata Global Beverages,
answers some key questions around the issues of
sustainability, ethical sourcing and certification.
... 57% of the
public believe
tea drunk out
of home should
be ethically
sourced
“