My Issue with Tea and How CSV is Fixing It!

Posted by in Sustainability Marketing

Ah, tea! A favourite of my parents, my roommate and almost every person I’ve encountered. As I understand it contains a high level of anti-oxidants and can soothe and relax. I would not be considered a big fan, however.

To meet the global demand for tea, vast expanses of rainforest are cut down, farmlands are converted to giant pest-attracting tea estates. These tea estates then require loads of pesticide and fertilizer to maintain which ruin the soil and poison the underpaid and unfairly treated workers. A great example of this would be this article here. BBC exposes multiple tea estates treating their workers horribly and committing a handful of other ethical breaches. The surprising part about the article, however, is that all these suppliers were approved by the Rainforest Alliance.

The Rainforest Alliance is an NGO who’s seal you will find on the packaging of many leading tea brands. A seal only “..awarded to farms, forests, and businesses that meet rigorous environmental and social standards.” This really hurts our trust as consumers. Some companies see this and take it a step further to prove how committed they are to doing our society and our environment justice. Founded in 2010 by Suranga Herath, English Tea Shop sells its teas across 50 countries worldwide and operates completely around the core principle of Creating Shared Value (CSV). Completely prioritized on 100% organic and ethical sourcing paying well over the Fairtrade minimum to its suppliers in Sri Lanka.

Herath’s commitment to organic production gave him a fortuitous competitive advantage, making English Tea Shop one of the global leading specialty tea brands. The company believes in being sustainable all the way down the value chain and is committed to empowering these small farmers who hold such an important place in our world’s eco-system. These ideas are represented in their ‘Love, Care and Change’ policy. I’ve been feeling a chill coming on, and since my faith in tea has been restored, time to grab a cup!

References:

Main Article on Topic.

Interview with Suranga Herath.

100% Organic Announcement.

English Tea Shop Website.