Typhoo's response to allegations of sexual abuse on Kenyan tea plantations
The BBC Panorama programme aired on Monday 20th of February reveals horrific and deeply concerning events surrounding women working on tea estates in Kenya. At Typhoo, we take these allegations extremely seriously, take a zero-tolerance approach to human rights abuses, and condemn all violence and abuse, particularly against the most vulnerable. Since being made aware of the allegations against these tea producers on the 2 nd of February, Typhoo kept in close contact with James Finlays and specialised NGOs to discuss their progress, immediate corrective actions and investigation plan. In the meantime, we had the tea from these producers placed on hold, until the severity and cause of the issues were fully understood and appropriate steps taken to protect and address the abuse victims' needs. We remain in fluent communication with other tea brands through the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) and industry stakeholders since the solution to gender-based violence in tea-producing countries' rural areas is multidimensional and will only come through industry collaboration ... Typhoo will continue to monitor the immediate situation and progress on these tea estates.
[Full response attached]