Lidl GB has become the first British supermarket chain to pay Kenyan farmers a living income reference price for tea. The initiative applies to its new Way To Go! Single Origin Kenyan Tea, an 80-bag box selling for £1.99.
The tea comes from the Kericho region, and farmers receive the Fairtrade Minimum Price, the Fairtrade Premium and, on top of that, an additional premium calculated so that their income covers a decent standard of living. The context is stark: according to figures cited by the company, only one in five tea farmers in Kenya earns enough each month to cover their family’s basic needs.
The project was developed with the Fairtrade Foundation, and Lidl also works with WWF on tea certification. The retailer’s entire own-brand tea range – black, green and rooibos – is already certified Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance.
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Source: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal