Table of Contents
Forced Labor or Trafficking in Persons cited by U.S. Government
Child Labor cited by U.S. Government
Risk of Forced Labor or Trafficking in Persons cited by other source
Risk of Child Labor cited by other source
Documented presence of migrant workers
Documented presence of other vulnerable workers
Documented presence or significant likelihood of third-party labor recruiters
Large numbers of dispersed, unorganized, or informal small producers or other worksites
Multiple points of aggregation, co-mingling, and/or transformation across supply chain
Complex/opaque supply chains and/or lack of vertical integration
High degree of flexibility in procurement practices of downstream entities
Scale or nature of risk varies significantly based on geographic area of production
Scale or nature of risk is strongly associated with certain types of suppliers/entities
Scale or nature of risk is present across multiple tiers or nodes of supply chain (including in associated downstream or upstream goods)
The cultivation and harvesting stage of tea production begins with a yearlong nurturing and replanting process in hot and humid regions. After the initial planting, tea plants take roughly four years to mature, at which point they are hand-picked. Forced labor and child labor risk is highest at this stage. Within hours of being picked, the tea is transported to a factory for the withering, rolling, fermenting, and drying processes. Once the tea is dried, it is sold to tea companies for the blending and packing processes.24Tippayawong, Korrakot Y., Punnakorn Teeratidyangkul, et al. “Analysis and Improvement of a Tea Value Chain.” International Association of Engineers, vol. 2, July 2017, www.iaeng.org/publication/WCE2017/WCE2017_pp772-777.pdf. While processed tea can be sold as a finished product, tea vendors may also blend it with other types of processed tea to add value, contributing to the opacity in the supply chain.25 All Things Supply Chain, The Amazing Supply Chain of a Cup of Tea, 28 August 2017, www.allthingssupplychain.com/the-amazing-supply-chain-of-a-cup-of-tea/#:~:text=The%20supply%20chain%20process%20of,worldwide%20with%20this%20essential%20product. In this stage, smallholder farmers’ tea will often be mixed with higher quality tea from large plantations. Once properly blended and packaged, the tea is ready for retail.
Cultivation and harvesting
Processing and blending
Distribution and marketing
Retail of final product
Tea is the world’s second most consumed beverage, with more than 3.5 billion cups consumed per day.