Tea brand Typhoo has published a list of over 250 tea gardens where it sources its tea from, giving a boost to the efforts to tackle slave-like conditions in the tea industry.
Typhoo, a subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Apeejay Surrendra Group, joined other big six British tea brands in releasing the list of suppliers as part of the campaign against modern slavery.
Yorkshire Tea, Twinings, Tetley, Clipper and PG Tips all made the same decision in the last year.
“At Typhoo, our commitment to sourcing responsibly in an ethical and safe manner is of high importance and we take pride in knowing where our tea is from. We’d like to share this with everyone who enjoys a cup of Typhoo and help to ensure wider industry transparency and accountability,” said Paul Jefferies, Tea Buyer at Typhoo Tea Limited.
The company said it was one of the first tea companies to send its buyers to monitor working conditions across their tea estates, offering retailers greater transparency on tea provenance.
“We’re always looking for more sustainable ways to source our tea and source tea from Rainforest Alliance certified farms that have environmentally and socially responsible practices. We are also a member of member of Ethical Tea Partnership,” Jefferies added.
Family founded in 1903, Wirral-based Typhoo Tea packs over 18,000 tonnes of tea and infusions every year.
Much of Britain’s tea comes from Assam, in northeast India, where research has shown many plantation workers are paid below minimum wage and live in poverty.
