Fairtrade tea producers' hero

Fairtrade tea

Fancy a brew to celebrate over 29 years of Fairtrade? All our own brand tea is Fairtrade and has been since 2008. Our 99 Tea was the UK’s first retailer Fairtrade own brand tea and we are committed to sourcing 100% Fairtrade tea to this day. We’ve also supported tens of thousands of tea smallholder farmers, workers and their communities in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.

Meet the producer

Ann Rono, a tea farmer in Kericho, Kenya shares her experiences of Fairtrade and how it has supported her livelihood.

Stability for tea farmers

Since early 2012, we committed to sourcing 10% of all the tea used in the 99 Tea blend from Fintea Growers Co-operative Union in Kericho, Kenya, which we set up with the help of our supplier and UK match funding. In 2019, we went even further by increasing our minimum sourcing from this co-operative to 12% to continue our support for 15,000 smallholder tea farmers with increased market access and stability.

Climate resilience

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing farmers and workers in global supply chains and has the potential of deepening the vulnerability and poverty context of thousands of farmers and workers. In sub-Saharan Africa, tea producers are highly sensitive to changing weather patterns which is affecting production, yields and incomes.

In 2021, we announced our new partnership with Fairtrade Africa (FTA) – as a leading UK investor and partner in driving forward the Producer Network’s climate strategy over the next 3 years, ensuring a farmer-centric approach to adapting and mitigating the very worst effects of climate change and channelling funding to areas of greatest need. As the first UK retailer to invest in FTA’s climate strategy, the Fairtrade Alliance for Climate Smart Supply Chains in Africa (FACSCA), we are working with 12 at-risk producer organisations in tea, coffee, and flower supply chains in sub-Saharan Africa to take meaningful action against climate change for the security of their own livelihoods, environments and protecting the futures of key commodities for the long-term benefit of us all. Find out more by clicking here.

Find out more on Fairtrade tea

Fairtrade tea producers - Providing Covid-19 relief - Spotlight

Providing Covid-19 relief to support farmer resilience

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on farmers and workers around the world. Co-op and suppliers Fyffes and Finlay’s donated money to Fairtrade’s Covid Relief and Resilience Fund to take immediate action to save livelihoods, maintain production to prevent future aid needs and build resilience to future shocks and stresses. With the projects completed, they have reached 66,597 coffee, tea, and banana farmers and workers across 10 producer organisations in East Africa, and 26 coffee and banana producer groups in Latin America.