Tetley becomes third UK tea brand to publish list of suppliers; experts say transparency must be followed by action to improve conditions for workers
"UK's Tetley reveals tea suppliers in push for slave-free sourcing", 2 Nov 2018
Tetley, the world’s second biggest tea company, has released a list of its suppliers, including those in India, to boost transparency in its supply chain, the British firm’s owner Tata Global Beverages said...
“The information has been put up in response to changing consumer expectations in the U.K., regarding transparency in the supply chain,” a spokesperson for Tata Global Beverages [said]...
Tetley became the third major British tea company after Yorkshire Tea owner Bettys & Taylors Group and Twinings to publish a full list of suppliers...
Tata Global Beverages says it works to ensure all its suppliers meet ethical standards and follows a strict code of conduct to “ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains”...
Genevieve LeBaron, a politics professor at Sheffield University and leading anti-slavery academic, said ... transparency ... needs to be followed up with action to transform the business models and supply chain dynamics that promote exploitation...
“(The list) must then be accompanied by meaningful dialogue with workers to properly address the risks they identify,” said Joe Bardwell, a spokesman for the British-based Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC).