Kericho Gold
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 8 sources
Kenyan tea brand of Global Tea & Commodities selling black and green tea bags.
Kericho Gold publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list.
Also worth knowing
Workers in Kenya are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
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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 Kenya, India and Sri Lanka.
- 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 Kericho Gold'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
Kericho Gold names some of the countries its tea comes from: Kenya. The rest is shown as where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Sri LankaUsual 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).
Research notes Kericho Gold's black teas are grown in Kenya, bought from smallholder farmers and local factories directly and at auction, and packed in Kenya by Global Tea & Commodities, which in 2017 bought about 18% of Africa's tea. The group says its products are Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified but does not say how much of the Kericho Gold range is covered, and it publishes no list of estates or factories, no modern slavery statement and no wage data for the farm workers who pick its tea. Some herbal and specialty lines use ingredients from other countries.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Tea from Kenya is on the US Department of Labor's list of goods produced with child labour (reported 2018). View |
Sources and actions
Sources 8
Show all 8 sources
- How global certification boosts livelihoods for local farmers (The Standard, Kenya) · Kericho Gold received its first Fairtrade certification in 2016; Gold Crown Beverages brand manager says it covers green, Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Attitude teas
- Kericho Gold tea maker gets Sh400m from IFC (Business Daily Africa, 2018) · Mombasa-based Global Tea & Commodities, maker of Kericho Gold, to expand packing capacity at its Kenyan factory with IFC loan
- IFC and GAFSP support Global Tea & Commodities (IFC, 2018) · search the archive · Kenyan tea packing since 2004; bought 18% of Africa's tea in 2017; sources from farmers and factories directly and via auction; packed tea exported to markets including Australia
- Proparco supports the development of Global Tea in Kenya and Malawi (2021) · search the archive · Global Tea trades as Kericho Gold and Baraka Chai; says products are Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified; supports tens of thousands of smallholders
- Processor of Kenya's premium tea brand Kericho Gold gets backing from European financiers (Food Business MEA, 2021) · search the archive · Kericho Gold packed by Kenyan subsidiary Gold Crown Beverages; Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certifications claimed; new Mombasa packing plant
- Kericho Gold (FoodChain Magazine, 2018) · search the archive · Black tea blended from Kenyan teas; specialty range includes teas from other countries; exported to 19 countries including Australia
- US reports say child labour persists in East Africa, Congo (The EastAfrican, 2018) · search the archive · US Department of Labor lists Kenyan tea, coffee, sugarcane, miraa and other goods as produced with child labour
Published by Kericho Gold or its owner
- Kericho Gold: About us · search the archive · Tea grown in Kenya; packing at source with farmers in the Mount Kenya region and Great Rift Valley; works with farmers
Company details
- Headquarters
- Kenya
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Kericho Gold ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/kericho-gold, last researched 23 October 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 Kericho Gold.