Dammann Frères
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
French tea house selling flavoured and single-origin teas.
Dammann Frères can't show that the people who grow its tea in India and Sri Lanka earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
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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, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. 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 rightsSome of its tea is grown in countries such as India and China, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- 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, partly in countries with poor worker rights
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 Dammann Frères'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
Dammann Frères says its tea comes from Sri Lanka, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Nepal, Taiwan and Colombia. Press and retailer reports name Vietnam and Brazil. The rest is shown as where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| KenyaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| South Korea | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Nepal | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Brazil | Systematic violations | 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).
Research notes Dammann Frères sells teas grown in Sri Lanka, India, China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Taiwan, Colombia, Vietnam, Brazil and Africa, blended and packed at its own plant in Dreux, France, but gives no shares by country or supplier list. In 2024, 95% of in-scope suppliers signed its responsible purchasing charter; its farm-level goals cover pesticides and biodiversity, and its mission committee noted living wages and child labour are not yet included. No labour abuses at its suppliers have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Dammann Frères teas are not Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified; its CSR report names neither scheme. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No Dammann Frères modern slavery statement is on the Australian register. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour rights allegations against Dammann Frères are recorded. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Dammann Frères CSR report 2024 · search the archive · Purchasing charter signed by 95%; social issues and living wage not yet in farm goals; about 200 staff; Darjeeling project
- Illy: Crédit Agricole invests in Dammann Frères (Milano Finanza) · search the archive · illy's Polo del Gusto majority owner since 2007; Crédit Agricole funds joined 2023
- Dammann Frères opens new Dreux plant (Forbes Italia, April 2026) · search the archive · Polo del Gusto owned; almost 200 staff; teas from Ceylon, India, China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Africa, Brazil; new Dreux plant opened 2026
- Dammann Frères tea (Amazon.com.au) · search the archive · Dammann Frères teas sold online in Australia
- Dammann Frères products (Ubuy Australia) · search the archive · Australian online retailer selling Dammann Frères teas
- Dammann Frères company register record (INSEE Sirene) · search the archive · Dammann Frères establishment active as of 20 February 2026
Published by Dammann Frères or its owner
- Our commitments (Dammann Frères) · search the archive · UN Global Compact member; origins listed; suppliers scored yearly; no Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance
Company details
- Headquarters
- France
- Employees
- About 200
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Dammann Frères ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/dammann-freres, 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 Dammann Frères.