Love Tea
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Melbourne company selling organic loose-leaf and bagged teas.
There's no proof the people who grow its tea earn more than the legal minimum, which in India and Sri Lanka is well below 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 doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- 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
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Love 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; Love 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 |
| 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 |
| 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) Source
- Direct trade (self-reported)
Research notes Love Tea blends and packs its teas in Victoria and most of its range is certified organic by ACO. It says it buys most ingredients directly from growers and small cooperatives and pays extra premiums for ingredients from fair trade farms, but names no growers, publishes no premium amounts and gives no origin countries itself; retailer listings name Sri Lanka (Uva), India and China (Hunan) for some teas, with no shares. It shows a 'Fairly traded' badge, not the Fairtrade mark, and no Fairtrade licence could be matched to its products, so its fair trade claims are self-reported. It says paying at least a fair trade minimum across its supply chain is still a work in progress.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | Love Tea says most of its range is fair trade certified and links to Fairtrade ANZ, but its packs show a 'Fairly traded' badge rather than the Fairtrade mark and no licence or certifier is named. View |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | No Certified B Corp listing found for Love Tea. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | No modern slavery statement found; as a small company it is well below the A$100m reporting threshold. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No allegations involving Love Tea were found in news or NGO reporting. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Love Tea English Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea - Flora & Fauna · search the archive · Sourced from Uva province, Sri Lanka; 'fairly traded with local growers' with no certifier named; certified organic by ACO; hand packed in Victoria
- Flora & Fauna: Love Tea Green Tea Pyramid Bags · search the archive · Green tea grown organically in Hunan province, China; hand packed in Victoria, Australia
- Flora & Fauna: Love Tea French Earl Grey Loose Leaf Tea · search the archive · Origin: India, Sri Lanka
- Let's Meet Love Tea - Flora & Fauna (2017) · search the archive · ACO certified organic; pays fair trade premiums for ingredients from fair trade farms; blended and packed in Australia
Published by Love Tea or its owner
- Love Tea homepage · search the archive · Crafted, blended and packed in Victoria; collaborates with growers and small-scale cooperatives; organic commitment linked to ACO; 'Fairly traded' badge; 1% for the Planet
- Values Manifested - Love Tea · search the archive · Majority of ingredients sourced directly; pays premiums for ingredients from fair trade farms; aims for fair trade minimum across supply chain; majority of range ACO certified organic; no growers named
- Fair Trade Tea collection - Love Tea · search the archive · 12 products in a fair trade collection; no Fairtrade certification or licence number stated; fair trade minimum described as a work in progress
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Love Tea ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/love-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 Love Tea.