The trustea program is an initiative to transform the domestic Indian tea industry based on industry realities and globally accepted sustainability principles by implementing a sustainability code for the Indian domestic market.
The program, led by the Tea Board of India, is funded by Tata Global Beverages, Hindustan Unilever, IDH, and implemented by Solidaridad and the Ethical Tea Partnership in close collaboration with key Indian stakeholders.
The trustea India Sustainable Tea program supports smallholders and estates in improving the competitiveness of tea gardens by stimulating continuous improvements and improving the livelihoods of smallholders and estate workers. The trustea code focuses on improving tea growing and good manufacturing practices with an emphasis on food safety.
The overall ambition of the program is to verify 500,000 tonnes of Indian tea production, benefiting 500,000 plantation workers and 40,000 small tea growers. Currently, 20% of the Indian tea produced is trustea verified, 271 estates and bought leaf factories (BLFs) are trustea verified, and 230,500 plantation workers and 14,200 small tea growers have been reached.
Trustea has played an integral role in the development and launch of the Tea Board of India’s Plant Protection Code which led to banning WHO class 1a and 1b agrochemicals.