Kusmi Tea
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Paris tea house selling organic flavoured teas.
Kusmi Tea 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.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Kusmi Tea? Send a right of reply.
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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 unaudited production 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: Made mostly 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
Accreditations 2
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Kusmi 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
From product labels; Kusmi Tea doesn't say where its tea is grown. 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 |
| 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 All Kusmi Tea's tea and infusion bases have been certified organic since 2020, and its owner Orientis Gourmet became a certified B Corp in July 2024 (score 86). It says it works with responsible producers who care for local communities, but publishes no tea origins, supplier list, supplier code, audit results or living wage commitment, and its range is not Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified. Product descriptions mention Indian black tea and Chinese green tea, but origin shares are not disclosed. No labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp directory | Certified | Orientis Gourmet (trading as Kusmi Tea) certified as a B Corp in July 2024 with a score of 86.0. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Kusmi Tea's range carries organic labels but not Fairtrade certification. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No modern slavery statement from Kusmi Tea or Orientis is on the Australian register. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour rights allegations against Kusmi Tea are recorded. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Orientis Gourmet (DBA Kusmi Tea) - B Corp directory · search the archive · Certified B Corp July 2024; score 86.0; workers 27.1, community 12.6
- Kusmi Tea Tchai of the Tiger (Amazon.com.au) · search the archive · Kusmi teas sold online in Australia; organic Indian black tea named
- Kusmi Tea Label Imperial (Amazon.com.au) · search the archive · Kusmi blend with Chun Mee green tea sold online in Australia
Published by Kusmi Tea or its owner
- Our commitments (Kusmi Tea) · search the archive · All tea and infusion bases organic since 2020 (Ecocert, AB, Eurofeuille); B Corp 2024; responsible producers
Company details
- Headquarters
- France
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Kusmi Tea ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/kusmi-tea, 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 Kusmi Tea.