Lipton's own plantations in East Africa such as Kericho in Kenya and Mufindi in Tanzania, as well as third-party tea estates have been working together since 2002 to ensure compliance with the Unilever sustainable agriculture guidelines and the Ethical Tea Partnership criteria. In May 2007, Unilever is said to have become the first company to commit to sourcing all its tea in a sustainable manner. Through the Rainforest Alliance, Lipton and its parent company, Unilever aim to have all Lipton Yellow Label tea bags sold in Western Europe certified by 2010 and all Lipton tea bags sold globally by 2015.
“This decision by Lipton and Unilever is the first step to transforming the tea industry, which has been suffering for many years from oversupply and underperformance,” comments Claire Wilson, brand development manager for Lipton South Africa. “Globally the company has decided to follow this path, as they believe that it is the right thing to do for the people who drink our tea, as well as the people along the entire length of our supply chain.”
The Rainforest Alliance pioneered the practice of setting standards and certifying well-managed forests nearly 20 years ago, and developed comprehensive principles and standards for sustainable agriculture shortly thereafter. The Alliance was chosen by Unilever because of its experience in crops such as coffee and fruit, its exacting standards and the comprehensiveness of its certification process, which covers social, economic and environmental factors. These include water conservation, wildlife protection, fair treatment and good working conditions for employees, as well as soil management and conservation. This type of certification will enable tea growers to improve the quality of their tea, increase their competitiveness and ensure a more sustainable income stream. Based on Rainforest Alliance experience with other crops, it is expected that certified tea will command higher prices than current average prices paid at auction.
Through this sustainable project Lipton and its parent company Unilever will ensure that they act in a sustainable way, maintain a high-quality product, as well as protect and improve the natural environment and livelihoods of workers and local communities.
