Harney & Sons
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Family-owned US tea blender selling over 300 teas.
Harney & Sons can't show that the people who grow its tea in India earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Better-graded tea
Graded higher than Harney & Sons, selling the same kinds of things.
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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 rightsMost of its tea is grown in India, China and Indonesia, 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, mostly 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 Harney & Sons'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
Harney & Sons names some of the countries its tea comes from: China, India, Taiwan and Japan. 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 |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| KenyaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri LankaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well 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 Harney & Sons says its teas come from tea regions around the world, naming China, India, Taiwan and Japan, but it does not publish origin shares, a list of tea estates or a modern slavery statement. About 22 of its more than 300 teas are Fair Trade USA certified, including teas from the Korakundah estate in India and an organic tea farmers' association in China whose premiums fund schooling and a workers' pension fund. It has no published code of conduct, audit programme or wage commitment for the rest of its supply chain. No labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been reported. Origin shares are not disclosed.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Certified | Around 22 of its 300-plus teas are Fair Trade USA certified; most of the range is not. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | Privately held US tea company below the size threshold for Australian modern slavery reporting. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour rights allegations against Harney & Sons are recorded. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
Published by Harney & Sons or its owner
- A Passion For Tea (Harney & Sons, about us) · search the archive · Family company founded 1983; over 300 teas; buyers visit China, Taiwan, Japan and India; carries Fair Trade Certified teas
- Fair Trade Month (Harney & Sons) · search the archive · Fair Trade USA certified teas from Korakundah (India) and Dazhangshan (China); premiums fund schools and pensions
- Fairtrade Teas collection (Harney & Sons) · search the archive · 22 products in its Fair Trade collection
- About Harney Fine Teas (Harney Teas Australia) · search the archive · Australian online store in AUD; English Breakfast blends Indian and Chinese black teas; not sold in supermarkets
- Harney Teas Australia · search the archive · Active Australian online storefront with AUD pricing (2026)
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Harney & Sons ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/harney-and-sons, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Harney & Sons.