Unilever has disclosed a list of its tea suppliers following consumer pressures and a transparency campaign by charity Traidcraft Exchange, Reuters reports.
A list published by Unilever shows it uses a number of suppliers in Assam, India, Indonesia, Japan and Kenya. The company says a large amount of its tea is grown in its own plantations in Kenya and Tanzania, while the rest is purchased directly from large tea producers, auctions or via brokers.
Unilever’s tea brands include Lipton, Pure Leaf, PF Tips and Tazo, among others.
“As the biggest buyer of tea across the world, we are committed to continuing to make our tea supply chain more sustainable. This starts with caring about the people who pick our tea leaves and goes all the way through to how we blend our tea, our packaging and the environmental impact tea production has on our planet,” the consumer goods company said in a statement.
Unilever sees a transformation of its tea supply chain a as a collaborative effort between its suppliers, NGOs and local and national governments. In 2017, it became a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP), a not-forprofit organisation that brings together the world’s most influential tea businesses to create a fairer, better and more sustainable tea industry for tea workers, farmers and the environment.
“We believe it’s important to know where our tea comes from as this is the starting point for any action that makes a positive impact where it matters most,” the company said.
