JING Tea
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
London premium tea company selling single-garden loose teas.
JING Tea is working towards a living income for the people who grow its tea, but can't yet show they earn one, and 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 a red flag (unaudited production in high-risk countries) and misses more than one Good requirement. On Track allows one red flag only when everything else but one requirement is met.
- 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: working towards one
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome 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 1
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
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 JING 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
JING Tea names some of the countries its tea comes from: China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. 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 |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| KenyaUsual 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). (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
- Direct trade (self-reported)
- Public plan to pay a living wage within 5 years, or with measurable steps due within 5 years
Research notes JING says 97% of its range is bought directly from producers or local agents; its 2023 report names sourcing countries (China, India, Japan, Taiwan) and a few gardens but gives no shares, and the range also includes Sri Lankan tea. It aims for all direct producers and their workers to earn at least a living wage or income by 2030, but has not yet measured wage gaps. Suppliers complete a self-assessment questionnaire; no audit results are published. Many teas are Soil Association organic. Its own UK staff are paid an accredited living wage. It cannot currently deliver to Australia.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | Listed in the 2021 tea supply chain survey; the profile records no allegations against JING. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- JING Tea - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · search the archive · Company profile lists no allegations
Published by JING Tea or its owner
- JING Sustainability Report 2023 · search the archive · Sources from China, India, Japan, Taiwan; 97% direct; living wage for producers' workers targeted by 2030; 26 staff; Camellia subsidiary
- A Better Model for Tea - JING · search the archive · Direct sourcing from Asian tea producers at a fair price; supports a living wage; no countries, prices or audits published
- Camellia plc Annual Report 2025 · search the archive · Camellia holds 100% of the shares in JING
- Delivery - JING · search the archive · JING is unable to deliver to Australia
- Decaf Ceylon Loose Leaf Tea - JING · search the archive · Range includes a Sri Lankan (Ceylon) tea
Company details
- Owned by
- Camellia plc (UK)
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Employees
- About 26
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is JING Tea ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/jing-tea, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded tea
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