If producers have a greater share of the value, could they provide workers and farmers with living wages and better living and working conditions?
In June 2020 we asked how can we Build Tea Back Better out of the devastation of the pandemic? The perennial problems of worker poverty have only been exacerbated by lockdowns. One of the answers proposed was to simplify supply chains and share value more fairly along the chain. If producers have a greater share of the value, could they provide workers and farmers with living wages and better living and working conditions? This was the topic that recieved the most votes when we asked Roundtable participants what they’d like to explore further.
In November 2020, we invited Kathrin Gassert of the innovative German tea retailer, Teekampagne and Will Battle, tea procurement advisor to IDH, back to recap on their presentations on this topic, to answer your questions and to hear your reactions and ideas on it. Erinch Sahan, Chief Executive of World Fair Trade Organisation and an expert in alternative enterprise models reflected on the presentations, and a rich discussion was facilitated by Oxfam’s Workers’ Rights Senior Manager, Rachel Wilshaw.
A recording of the session is available here: