Better livelihoods
To create value for all, LIPTON Teas and Infusions operates a culture of fairness, transparency, trust and integrity with all our raw material suppliers.
Our Code of Business Principles, our Sustainable Agriculture Policy and our Responsible Sourcing Policy spell out our commitments. The regional management teams oversee these policies’ implementation, under the overall responsibility of our CEO and the central leadership team. Providing a comprehensive framework for good governance, they ensure that suppliers and producers are aligned with our social, environmental and ethical expectations – including worker safety and fair compensation.
Traced to the farm
There can be no responsibility without traceability and quality control. Our supply chain is complex and fragmented: we purchase teas from tens of thousands of smallholders around the world, much of it at auction. Yet we are able to trace each batch to the farm.
In full transparence, we publish our list of tea suppliers.
We’ve supported the Rainforest Alliance since 2007, when our first batch of Kenyan tea was certified. Today, almost 98% of our tea is Rainforest Alliance certified.
For infusions, we source over 100 organic herbs and spices from around the world, either directly from the country of origin or through partners who purchase on our behalf. Pukka uses certified ‘Fair’ raw materials where the quality and availability are appropriate for our teas. That is why our products are certified according to the Fair for Life standard - the gold standard in fair and ethical trade. At least 20% (and often far more) of the herbs in each tea blend are grown on Fair for Life certified farms or on farms certified to an equivalently high fair standard. It’s not just certified farmers and producers who are checked: Fair for Life ensures everyone receives minimum wages and decent working conditions along the way. The entire supply chain is fully transparent. You can see our suppliers’ and our own fair scores on the Fair for Life website.
For safety, dignity and opportunity
On our tea estates, we offer working conditions and compensation superior to local averages. Our employees in Kenya receive more than 1.5 times the minimum wage. We provide our people and their families with the best – including housing, safe water, paid leave, maternity and paternity leave, and free meals. We’ve built facilities for daycare and primary and secondary education, and we provide free healthcare to all workers and their dependents.
Of course, good wages depend on sufficient value creation. Our success in increasing yields and improving crop resilience through cross-breeding and good agricultural practices is the foundation for increasing farmers’ and workers’ incomes.