Our strategy

Tea-producing regions face complex and systemic obstacles, from low wages and incomes, to unsafe working conditions, gender inequality, environmentally unsustainable practices, and climate change. Our on-the-ground projects are locally-led and built on the foundations of a ‘participatory approach’ . With our global and local level expertise, we convene the right mix of partners to help projects deliver lasting change, build responsible exit strategies, and provide communities with the tools they need to sustain positive impact.  

In business, purpose and profit are inextricably linked. To drive purposeful change, we need responsible, innovative approaches to disrupt traditional business models. We support tea companies to explore new ways of doing business, helping ensure that corporate sustainability is at the core of their practices. We work with them to pilot  inclusive ways of working and explore new policies, such as adopting responsible procurement practices, increasing supply chain transparency, enhancing industry collaboration, and sharing accountability to improve sustainability. 

Improving and influencing policy is a core element of our work. We aim to remove barriers and raise awareness of alternative, better ways of operating. We influence change by engaging and consulting stakeholders on policy and legislative reforms, guiding government policy, and sharing recommendations on better practices. With insights from our own research, on-the-ground projects and contacts at a global and producer level, we make our knowledge publicly accessible in policy papers and factsheets that explain tea’s most pressing issues and propose new solutions to catalyse change.