Petitioning for a fairer brew

Pictured L-R: Venetia La Manna; Marie Rumsby; Andy Hickman; Bryan Martins; Tea Day; and Tia Kofi. Photo credit: Fairtrade Foundation/Neil Terry Photography.

To coincide with World Human Rights Day (10 December), Clipper Teas joined the Fairtrade Foundation at Downing Street to hand in a petition signed by over 21,000 people calling for a fairer tea industry.

The Fairtrade Foundation’s Brew It Fair – which is supported by more than 80 Members of Parliament – appeals to government to introduce Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) legislation to tackle issues in tea supply chains and lobby for a level playing field in the industry.

Bryan Martins, CEO at Clipper’s owner Ecotone UK, stood alongside Marie Rumsby, director of communications and advocacy at the Fairtrade Foundation, Andy Hickman, head of human rights at Sainsbury’s, and Martin Rhodes MP, Chair of the Fairtrade All Party Parliamentary Group to hand over the petition.

“My hope is for fair tea – where all growers earn a decent income, work in safe conditions, can support their families and send their children to school – but we are far from that reality,” says Rumsby. “That’s why we are proud to stand with brands like Clipper and Sainsbury’s, rallying support for fairer tea and calling for new UK legislation to level the playing field, ensuring all tea companies and retailers take responsibility for addressing human rights abuses and environmental harm in their supply chains.”

Martins adds: “It was a highlight of my career to date to be part of the Brew It Fair petition as the main tea brand to be involved. To be there, at Downing Street, to deliver such a powerful message and show up for the producers that need our support, was inspiring. The volume of tea we consume in Britain is huge, yet only 10% is Fairtrade certified. There is also very little awareness of the lives of the people behind the nation’s beloved brew.

“The government, and the tea industry as a whole, needs to do better to support people on the ground. They need fair pay, access to medical care and education, and generally better standards of living.”

A group of campaign ambassadors also gave their support, including celebrity drag queen, Tia Kofi, and influencers Venetia La Manna and Tide Adesanya, who illustrated the campaign.

Fairtrade also presented an open letter from over 250 tea farmers and workers in Kenya calling on UK businesses and policymakers to protect the human rights of tea workers, end poverty wages and help them mitigate the effects of climate change.

By Jane Wolfe, contributor