The Kenyan government has mandated tea factories to cease collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance, citing the excessive costs of securing ethical certification as burdensome for smallholders. In a recent poll, only 20% of tea workers in Kenya can meet basic family needs. The agriculture principal secretary emphasized that the expense of Rainforest Alliance compliance falls disproportionately on farmers, rather than consumers. The increasing demand in Western markets for certified tea, while noted, lacks corresponding financial support, leaving Kenyan producers struggling beneath unfunded ethical certification requirements.
Paul Ronoh, Agriculture Principal Secretary, stated that the burden of implementing the Rainforest Alliance scheme falls on tea factories, ultimately impacting struggling tea farmers.
The Kenyan government argues that the costs of securing the ethical Rainforest Alliance label are unsustainable for the nation's smallholder tea farmers.
Despite strong demand for ethical certification, UK buyers rarely offer a premium for certified tea, leaving Kenyan tea producers at a financial disadvantage.
The Rainforest Alliance green frog seal is prominent in UK supermarkets but the associated costs may undermine the welfare of Kenyan tea growers.
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