Ethical Tea Partnership facts for kids

The Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) is a group that works to make the tea industry better for everyone. Since 1997, they have been helping tea farms and companies grow tea in a fair and sustainable way. This means caring for both people and the planet.

The ETP started when big tea companies in the UK decided to work together. They wanted to improve how workers were treated in their supply chains (the journey tea takes from farm to cup). Later, tea companies from other countries joined. The ETP also started looking at environmental issues, not just social ones.

The ETP has offices in London and managers in key tea-growing countries. These include Kenya, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and China.

Checking Tea Farms and Factories

The ETP has a program that checks how tea farms and factories operate. This program started in 1997 and is free for tea producers. The ETP has a special guide called the ETP Global Standard. This guide explains what farms need to do for both the environment and their workers.

The ETP's rules are very similar to other well-known groups. These include Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and UTZ Certified. The rules for workers are based on the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code. This code follows important agreements from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Fair Treatment for Workers

The ETP checks on many important things for workers. These include:

• Workers can choose their jobs freely.
• Workers can join groups and speak up for themselves.
• Workplaces are safe and healthy.
• No child labour is used.
• Workers get fair pay and benefits.
• Working hours are reasonable.
• No one faces unfair treatment (discrimination).
• Jobs are regular, not just temporary.
• There are clear rules for dealing with problems.

Caring for the Environment

The ETP also checks on how tea farms protect the environment. This includes:

• Having plans to manage the environment.
• Using farm chemicals (agrochemicals) safely.
• Protecting the soil.
• Keeping natural areas and wildlife safe.
• Saving water.
• Using energy wisely.
• Managing waste properly.

To make a bigger difference, the ETP works closely with other groups. These include Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and UTZ Certified. The ETP helps tea producers get certified by these groups if tea companies ask for it. They also work with many NGOs (non-profit groups) to support tea producers.

Helping Tea Producers Improve

The ETP helps tea producers meet international standards for workers and the environment. They do this by organizing training and improvement programs. These programs teach both managers and workers about important topics like:

• Safety and health in tea factories.
• How to manage farm chemicals safely.
• Treating all workers fairly.
• Understanding gender equality.
• Protecting the environment, including wildlife and plants.

ETP managers in different regions help with these projects. They build good relationships with tea producers. This helps producers take part in the ETP program effectively.

The ETP has also worked with the ETI. They created a training program to reduce unfair treatment and harassment of workers in Africa. This training gives practical help to producers. It deals with long-term problems that cannot be fixed by just checking farms.

The ETP also helped CARE International with a project in Sri Lanka. This project aimed to improve living and working conditions for people in tea communities.

Planning for the Future of Tea

Besides fixing immediate problems, the ETP also works on issues that affect the long-term future of tea. For example, in Kenya, the ETP is working with GIZ (a German development agency). They are helping over 10,000 smallholder farmers. These farmers are learning how to deal with the effects of climate change. This helps them secure their future income from tea.

Together, ETP and GIZ are creating guides for good climate change adaptation practices. These guides include practical farming tips and ways to help communities and local groups.

The Ethical Tea Partnership works closely with tea producers. They share ideas on how to make the tea industry more sustainable for years to come.

Who Can Join the ETP?

Any company that buys, sells, or packs tea sold in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand can join the Ethical Tea Partnership. The ETP works with its members by checking that their tea suppliers meet social and environmental standards.

Current Members

In 2014, the ETP had 29 member companies. Some of these included:

• Ahmad Tea
• Bell Tea and Coffee
• Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate Ltd
• Bigelow Tea
• Birchall Tea
• Booths
• Mars Drinks
• Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee Inc
• Newby Teas
• Ringtons
• Tazo tea
• Tesco
• Tetley
• The Republic of Tea
• Twinings

Founding Members

When the ETP first started, only UK-based tea packing companies could join. The founding members were:

• The Tetley Group
• Twinings
• Bettys and Taylors
• Spicers
• Unilever
• Windmill Tea
• DJ Miles
• Gala Tea and Coffee
• Finlays
• Williamsons
• Matthew Algie