   Background
Unilever is one of the world's largest tea companies, currently buying around 12% of the world's entire black tea supply. Unilever has built on their work in sustainable tea through the Sustainable Agriculture Programme which set guidelines for tea development.
The company is also a founding member of an international organisation called the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP). The members of this partnership believe in a shared responsibility for the social and ethical conditions involved in the sourcing of tea.
How the issue was tackled
Recently, Unilever has announced a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance. By joining partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, Unilever has taken further steps towards ethical sourcing. Rainforest Alliance is an independent non-governmental organisation which is predominantly concerned with promoting sustainability.
The working relationship between the two companies is vital and provides the certification of the products. The Rainforest Alliance logo will be placed on all the tea and will be visible to consumers. Unilever and the PG Tips brand have committed to sourcing all their tea by 2015 from Rainforest Alliance certified sources.
Benefits and impacts
Rainforest Alliance executive director Tensie Whelan stated, "by bringing Rainforest Alliance certification to its tea supply, Unilever has taken an unprecedented step that could eventually benefit millions of tea growers globally". With the partnership of the two organisations there is the aim to enable tea growers to attain higher prices for their tea, which will raise their incomes and make a higher quality of life possible. From such a great partnership those two million people around the world who are involved with the production of tea will benefit.
Unilever expects that Rainforest Alliance Certified tea will command prices 10 to 15 percent higher than the current average prices paid at auction and estimates that farmers will receive around €2 million more for their tea by 2010 and around €5 million more by 2015.
Rainforest Alliance works in 50 countries, so it is hoped that the economic, social and environmental sustainability certification will help benefit all those who are involved and the countries with whom they are involved.
Advice to others
Look for ways to make sustainability mainstream, rather than a niche product area. Many concentrate on one product in a specific range, but Unilever is an example of making a whole range sustainable.
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