Clipper Tea
VerifiedClipper Tea is on the right track: Fairtrade certification covers farmer prices and working conditions, and it says it buys directly from producers at agreed prices. What's missing is publishing where its products are made.
Last researched 9 October 2026
Heading in the right direction. Workers are paid enough to live on, or the company is certified as working towards it, and there are no serious warning signs. One piece is still unproven. What this grade means
Good: 4 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 0 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 0
None found.
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya 15% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | High |
| Sri Lanka 14% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China 14% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South Africa 14% | Some protections | Below a living wage | Low |
| Tanzania 14% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Low |
| Uganda 14% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- Fairtrade certified: Minimum price and premium for farmers; audits for child and forced labour. Minimum price does not always reach a living income.
- Certified organic: Organic certification has no labour criteria beyond basics.
- Certified B Corp: Whole-company assessment. Labour is one part of the score, so it is supportive rather than proof.
- Modern slavery statement
- Direct trade (self-reported)
Clipper is a Dorset tea brand owned by French natural-food group Ecotone (formerly Wessanen), which is a Certified B Corp; there is no record of a sale to Nomad Foods. All of its black and green teas are Fairtrade and much of the range is organic, with tea grown in Kenya, India (Assam and Kerala), Sri Lanka, China, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda and blended in Dorset. It published its Indian supplier estates in 2018 but does not currently name its partner estates on its website, and its UK modern slavery statement identifies forced labour and harassment as priority risks for tea from India, Kenya and Rwanda without reporting specific cases.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | Which? reports all Clipper black and green teas are Fairtrade and Clipper calls itself the world's largest Fairtrade tea brand. View ↗ |
| B Corp directory | Found | Parent company Ecotone is a Certified B Corp with a 2025 score of 123.7. View ↗ |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Found | UK entity Kallo Foods Limited lodged a modern slavery statement for 2024, naming forced labour and harassment as tea risks in India, Kenya and Rwanda. View ↗ |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Found | Tea from India (forced labour) and Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda (child labour) is on the 2024 US DOL list, and Clipper sources from all of these countries. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Found | Records Clipper's 2018 release of its Indian supplier list; BHRRC coverage of the 2015 BBC Assam investigation and the 2016 Hajua estate case does not name Clipper. View ↗ |
Sources (9)
- Clipper Teas FAQ (clipper-teas.com) · archived copy · Owner Ecotone (PAI Partners 62%, Charles Jobson 38%), UK entity Kallo Foods; origins Kenya, India (Assam, Kerala), Sri Lanka, China, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda; buys directly from partner
- Clipper Teas site context (clipper-teas.com) · archived copy · Parent Ecotone (formerly Royal Wessanen), acquired 2012; majority of range certified organic; blended and packed in Beaminster, Dorset.
- Green brands: Clipper (Which?) · archived copy · All Clipper black and green teas are Fairtrade; mostly Fairtrade overall; much of range Soil Association organic; owned by Ecotone, which is B Corp certified; £447,000 Fairtrade premium in 2022.
- Clipper Teas (Wikipedia) · archived copy · Ownership history: founded 1984, sold to Fleming Family & Partners 2007, bought by Royal Wessanen (now Ecotone) 2012; HQ Beaminster, Dorset.
- KALLO FOODS LIMITED modern slavery statement summary (2025) · archived copy · Statement for 2024 lodged on UK registry; tea risks of forced labour, bullying and harassment in India, Kenya and Rwanda; Sedex onboarding of at-risk suppliers; no forced labour indicators reported.
- British tea brand Clipper releases list of its Indian suppliers (Global Citizen / Thomson Reuters Foundation, 2018) · archived copy · Clipper published names and addresses of its Indian tea estates in November 2018; no abuse findings named Clipper suppliers.
- BBC investigates inhumane working conditions in tea plantations in Assam (BHRRC, 2015) · archived copy · Brands named in the 2015 BBC Assam investigation did not include Clipper.
- Three UK tea brands drop Indian supplier over work conditions (BHRRC, 2016) · archived copy · Brands linked to the Hajua estate case were Twinings, Taylors and Fortnum & Mason, not Clipper.
- 2024 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor (US DOL) · archived copy · Tea listed for forced labour in India and child labour in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Last researched 9 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.