Responsibility From the Start
For many of us, living sustainably has not only become a major challenge in recent years, but also a very conscious decision. For TEEKANNE sustainability is far more than a trend, but an elementary component of our corporate DNA. An essential building block of this DNA: long-term partnerships. We firmly believe that a close, long-term relationship with our suppliers is the best way to a more sustainable future for us all.
Responsibility Starts With the Quality of Raw Materials
As a successful German tea company, our demands on the raw materials for our teas are particularly high. Because only with the best raw materials can we guarantee excellent tea creations of consistently high quality.
We can only process our raw materials in such high quality because our suppliers ensure optimal cultivation. It is more important for us to take responsibility where the basis for our high-quality raw materials is laid: In the country of origin. We have known many of our local suppliers personally for decades. We are very proud of our supply chain, which is unique for a tea company. At its heart lies the fact that we source our raw materials almost exclusively directly from the country of origin and not, as is usually the case, through wholesalers. We are particularly proud of this transparency in our supply chain, and it is no coincidence that it represents a key success factor for our company.
Compliance with Social and Environmental Standards is Mandatory
For us, sustainability means not only knowing where our raw materials come from, but also that compliance with social and environmental standards in the countries of origin is a high priority. Many of our raw materials come from Africa or Asia, where their cultivation represents an important source of income and development opportunity for the people. However, there is always the risk that working conditions that we take for granted are not observed or that the environment is damaged by unsustainable cultivation.
Here, too, we see our responsibility. Together with our suppliers, we have agreed that all raw materials we use must be sustainably grown. Our suppliers also confirm this promise by signing our Code of Conduct. However, we do not leave them to implement the Code on their own. Our buyers and agricultural engineers help them with cultivation practices and with aligning their daily activities with our sustainability requirements. They regularly travel to the countries of origin and maintain long-standing relationships.
Lived Responsibility and Certified Sustainability
In order to improve continuously, we have been supported by the IMO – Ecocert IMOswiss – for several years. The internationally recognized control organization supports us on the one hand in ensuring compliance with the most important social standards and on the other hand in identifying important need for action with our suppliers.
In addition, we have been sourcing Fairtrade-certified tea since 1996, and in 2011 TEEKANNE was the first tea company to introduce Rainforest Alliance-certified tea products, bringing even more sustainability to German tea shelves. In the meantime, we are proud that our black and rooibos teas* are 100% Rainforest Alliance certified and our goal is to continuously expand the share of certified green, herbal and fruit teas.
Sip By Sip to More Sustainability
Sustainability is thus an integral part of our daily work – and you can taste it in every sip of our teas.
*These are all teas in which black or rooibos tea makes up the main ingredient.
