You know the story.
You’ve had an evolution of conscience and you’ve resolved to do better – better for your own health, for the people around you, and for the planet. But it’s such a big planet with so many seemingly insurmountable problems. How do you even begin?
You know the answer. You start by buying products that reflect your values; you opt for the organic, the Fair Trade, the locally sourced. With each dollar, you are saying, “Yes, I care.” You are voting for the change you want to see in the world.
It’s the same story with us. We’re passionate about providing people with an unforgettable iced tea experience, but not at the expense of the rest of the world. That’s why China Mist has joined the Ethical Tea Partnership, a not-for-profit that works to improve the sustainability of the tea sector, the lives of tea workers and farmers, and the environment in which tea is produced. By making this partnership, we are saying yes to a tea supply chain that is ethical and earth-healthy.
The ETP is doing some incredible work. They collaborate with local agencies and governments in major tea producing countries – including Kenya, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and, of course, China – to improve the social and environmental conditions of tea estates.
- In Kenya, they have planted 3.5 million trees and 600,000 drought/frost resistant tea bushes to help farmers adapt to climate change.
- In India, they have partnered with UNICEF to help protect 25,000 children and adolescents from exploitation and trafficking.
- In Malawi, Africa, they have launched a highly involved and collaborative program to achieve living wages for tea workers and living incomes for tea farmers by 2020.
As a member of the ETP, China Mist will source all its tea from tea plantations that are certified, monitored, and regularly audited by the ETP. They help producers meet internationally recognized social and environmental standards including ETP, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, Utz, and Trustea. Ultimately, this makes tea estates (plantations) and processing factories better and safer places to work for the people that grow and produce tea.
We’ve been anxious to enter this new era of China Mist Tea for a long time. We always knew creating environmentally responsible products was important, even in the mid-1990’s when we developed the first USDA Organic and Fair Trade iced tea for hotel and restaurant service – our Estate Black. To our great dismay, this became a niche product; demand was limited and the increased cost was a barrier.
Fast forward to 2016 and the climate (both literally and figuratively) is different. The time is now. We aim to be an agent of change – to become a leader in iced tea sustainability through a commitment to corporate social responsibility and a full stream approach to sourcing, reporting, and engagement throughout our supply chain. In short, we want to be the best iced tea company in the world, and we also want to be the most sustainable iced tea company for the world.
And when people like you choose which tea to drink or to provide in their restaurants and hotels, they will see the ETP logo on our products and know that choosing China Mist is consistent with their values. We want to be a part of your sustainability story too.
