The Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) is an international, non-competitive alliance of tea packers who are working together to improve the sustainability in the tea sector. ETP’s aim is to improve the lives of tea workers and to ensure that tea drinkers can be confident that their tea has been produced in a socially and environmentally sustainable way.
Established in 1997 ETP organises the independent monitoring of estates in its members‘ supply chains. Since then ETP has broadened its remit and is now focused on driving sustainable change in the tea sector, rather than simply monitoring conditions on estates for its members.
ETP has developed its own standard which is relevant for the tea industry and which covers key social and environmental principals. Alongside its monitoring programme, ETP also works with a range of partner oganisations, including development agencies, local NGOs, government bodies and UN agencies, to develop capacity building projects that will help overcome the barriers to a more sustainable tea sector.
ETP has more that 20 members that fund its core work. Membership is open to any tea packing company selling tea into Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
| Sub-Category |
Private Sector
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| Standard for |
Tea
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| Focus |
capacity building partnerships
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| Structure |
ETP has been organising the independent monitoring of estates in its members’ supply chains since 1997. As well as organising its own monitoring of estates, ETP works with certification programmes operating in the tea sector to facilitate third-party certification.
On becoming a member of the ETP, companies are required to disclose all sources of their tea to the ETP Secretariat. In the following process ETP’s Regional Managers liaise closely with the producers: they run workshops on ETP’s standard and approach and help producers identify their key social and environmental risks. These risk assessments form the basis of improvement plans and the Regional Managers work with producers to ensure the required changes are taking place.
Independent monitors carry out audits against the ETP standard in order to verify that the changes have been implemented. ETP’s Regional Managers continue working with producers to address issues identified by monitors and support sustainability improvements.
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| Conformity Requirements |
ETP’s standard covers both social and environmental issues. The fundamental principles of the ETP standard are those of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code which is closely based on International Labour Organisation ( ILO ) Conventions. In addition, the ETP Standard includes environmental provisions.
Industry best practice, local law and collective bargaining agreements which are relevant to worker welfare are used to support, clarify and enrich the standard, and to ensure that it is appropriate to the country in which the standard is to be applied. In case of contradictions, those provisions which afford workers the greatest protection will be used.
Social and labour provisions:
· freely chosen employment
· freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
· health and safety (workplace safety, sanitation, health, welfare, accomodation/housing)
· child labour and young workers
· wages and benefits
· working hours
· discrimination
· regular employment
· harsh or inhumane treatment
Environmental provisions:
· environmental management systems
· agrochemicals
· soil conservation
· ecosystem conservation
· water conservation
· energy use
· waste management
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| Auditing System |
ETP collaborates with independent third-party certification systems.
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| Geographic Focus |
ETP is active in all the major tea export regions: Argentina, Brazil, China, North India (Assam, Darjeeling), South India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu), Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Simbab
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| Website |
http://www.ethicalteapartnership.org
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