Updates, blog posts and events from THIRST

THIRST brings you a range of news, analysis and events to help you keep track of human rights and environmental developments in the tea industry around the world. These include announcements of new publications and events such as discussions on topical issues, monthly news updates and thought provoking blogs. We welcome news, guest blogs and suggestions of topics for future TEA Talks from all sections of the tea sector – but especially civil society.

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Monthly update

THIRST News Update – July 2022

Highlights: Oxfam chief challenges tea industry purchasing policies; ILO landmark decision – health & safety is fundamental right; human/animal conflict on the rise in tea areas; THIRST full literature review […]
Blog post
Monthly update

Tea prices are too low! …and other roundtable insights

On 31 May 2022 a group of close to 50 tea sector stakeholders took part in a virtual roundtable to reflect on the findings of THIRST’s literature review, Human Rights […]
Monthly update

THIRST News Update – May & June 2022

Highlights: Ukraine war impacts tea exports. Severe hailstorms, rain & temperature rises hit Kenyan and Indian tea; new climate-adapted tea varieties &  tech solutions in development. Sri Lanka economic crisis […]
Blog post

Human Rights in the Tea Sector – The Big Picture: Literature Review

THIRST’s new report – drawing on over 200 authoritative references – finds that despite a plethora of human rights standards, policies and conventions, and a thriving industry, breaches of the […]
Event

Roundtable on Human Rights in the Tea Sector – The Big Picture. May 31st

THIRST’s Literature Review report on human rights across the global tea industry will be published in mid-May. This roundtable is an opportunity to discuss the findings with multiple tea industry […]
Monthly update

THIRST News Update – April 2022

Highlights: Women battle sexual abuse & discrimination across tea sector; mechanisation & land sales threaten workers homes, jobs; smallholder cooperatives recieve boost; innovations in carbon transparency and zero-cost tea production. […]
Blog post

THIRST’s Progress Report 2018-2021 out now

THIRST is delighted to share with you this record of our first three years of existence. We are grateful to all those who have helped shaped the journey so far […]
Monthly update

THIRST News Update – February 2022

Highlights: Finlays’ Kenyan employees win right to hear work injuries case in Scotland. India proposes new Tea Act as 1953 Act no longer reflects reality. Image: Press-TV: File photo shows […]
Monthly update

THIRST News Update – January 2022

Highlights: First Tea Transparency Tracker launched; female tea workers more vulnerable to violence; UN slavery rapporteur lambasts Sri Lankan tea workers’ conditions. Image: Herald Scotland  THIRST News Two International Tea […]
Blog post

Happy International Tea Day! But is it…?

Happy International Tea Day! But is it…? Well, yes, kind of… The day that the UN designated International Tea Day in 2019 to “…promote and foster collective actions to implement […]
Monthly update

THIRST News Update – December 2021

Highlights: Unilever sells tea business to CVC amid worker welfare concerns and sustainability pledges; tea industry wakes up to urgency of climate crisis; workers continue to lobby for decent wages […]
Monthly update

THIRST News Update – November 2021

Highlights: Fury at Bangladeshi tea workers’ static wages; concerns that COVID-19 pressures will increase risk of forced labour; Finlays sued over tea workers’ back-injuries and quizzed over mechanical harvester operator […]