Basilur Tea
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Sri Lankan brand selling Ceylon black, green and flavoured teas.
Basilur Tea publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list.
Also worth knowing
Workers in Sri Lanka are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Basilur Tea? Send a right of reply.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden supply chain. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its tea is grown: worker rights are poorly protected in Sri Lanka, India and Kenya.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain: no certification, independent audits or supplier list
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Basilur Tea's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its tea is grown
Basilur Tea names some of the countries its tea comes from: Sri Lanka. The rest is shown as where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| KenyaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalawiUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: tea estate wages in Assam, Sri Lanka and Kenya are among the lowest of any export crop, often paid partly in kind (housing, rations). Source
Research notes Basilur says its teas are 100% pure Ceylon tea hand-plucked on Sri Lankan estates, naming growing regions such as Uva, Dimbula and Nuwara Eliya, but it names no estates or suppliers and publishes no supplier code, audits, wage commitments or Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade or Ethical Tea Partnership membership. Sri Lankan tea estates have well-documented problems with low wages and poor housing. No labour abuses linked to Basilur's own suppliers have been reported. Origins of its herbal infusions are not disclosed.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Basilur teas are not Fairtrade certified. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No modern slavery statement from Basilur or its Australian distributor is on the Australian register. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour rights allegations against Basilur are recorded. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Sri Lanka: low wages and child labour found on Rainforest Alliance certified tea estates (BHRRC) · search the archive · Sector-wide labour risks on Sri Lankan tea estates; does not name Basilur
- Basilur Tea Export Pvt Ltd (Sri Lanka EDB exporter directory) · search the archive · Founded 2006, based in Angoda, Sri Lanka; exports worldwide; no certifications listed
- Basilur Tea Export (LMD) · search the archive · Brand launched 2007; premium tea gifting; buys high-quality Ceylon teas
Published by Basilur Tea or its owner
- Basilur Tea - Premium Ceylon Tea · search the archive · 100% pure Ceylon tea, hand-plucked from Sri Lankan estates; no certifications or ethics claims
- Basilur Tea Australia · search the archive · Official Australian distributor Kaema Australia sells online with delivery in Australia; no stockists listed
Company details
- Headquarters
- Sri Lanka
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Basilur Tea ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/basilur, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Basilur Tea.