Foundation to support Africa’s tea industry launches after sale of LIPTON Teas and Infusions estates
Completion of previously announced transaction with Browns Investments provides proceeds to reinvest in industry progress
Amsterdam, 3 April 2025 – Following final regulatory clearances and the subsequent completion of the agreed transfer of tea estates in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania from LIPTON Teas and Infusions to Browns Investments, the Africa Tea Industry Progress (ATIP) Foundation has now been established to reinvest the net proceeds for the benefit of the region’s tea industry and the people working within it.
The new ATIP Foundation, incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation in the Netherlands, will disburse the net proceeds of the transaction over upcoming years based on funding needs in three core areas: skills development and training; climate change mitigation; and programmes that promote, and therefore reward, improvements in quality and sustainability of tea.
Additional funding for the Lipton Tea Innovation & Technology Academy, inaugurated in February 2024, will help expand education opportunities to raise standards in tea cultivation, harvesting, and processing, as well as provide introductory skills in business and diversifying farm incomes to support an industry-wide shift from quantity to quality.
The ATIP Foundation will also fund exploration and potential development of a self-sustaining ecosystem for green and/or low carbon fertilisers in the region. Fertiliser is typically among the largest costs for tea growers and the biggest single cause of carbon emissions, supporting an acceleration towards net zero for the entire industry.
Investment will also be directed towards work that creates distinction and value in the market for tea that is grown and harvested to higher quality, social, and environmental standards, as well as in unique geographic locations.
The ATIP Foundation will be led by a board of unpaid directors, of which two independent appointees will be made in due course.
Pierre Laubies, Chief Executive Officer of LIPTON Teas and Infusions, said: “Our transaction with Browns Investments has unlocked the means to benefit the entire tea industry – a crucial contributor to the economies of countries in East Africa. I know the ATIP Foundation will invest carefully to raise standards, both in the quality of the tea itself and the way in which it is grown, for a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.”
The ATIP Foundation website can be found at atip.foundation.
Work on additional outcomes of the transaction, set to benefit the broader community in the surrounding areas, began following completion at the end of December and remains distinct from the aims of the ATIP Foundation. These outcomes include the distribution of 15% of the shares in the main Kenyan operating company and the establishment of a community welfare trust funded by a joint LIPTON Teas and Infusions and Browns endowment of one billion Kenyan shillings.
Meetings with community representatives to discuss the transaction-related initiatives have continued throughout the year. Concurrently, LIPTON Teas and Infusions and Browns are appointing independent experts to listen to the needs of local people and conduct a thorough assessment that will guide the work of the community welfare trust to ensure that the funding delivers impact where it is most needed.