Nature's Cuppa
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Family-owned Australian brand of organic Sri Lankan tea.
Nature's Cuppa can't show that the people who grow its tea in Sri Lanka earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
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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 rightsJudged on where its tea is grown: worker rights are poorly protected in 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 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
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 Nature's Cuppa'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
Nature's Cuppa says which countries its tea comes from, but doesn't name the farms or co-operatives.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | 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). Source
Research notes Nature's Cuppa says its tea is grown and hand-picked only on one certified organic plantation in Sri Lanka, Greenfield Bio Plantations in the Uva highlands. That estate has been Fairtrade certified since 2010. The brand calls its products Fair Trade but names no certifier, and Woolworths listings show no Fairtrade mark. It publishes no wage data, audits or modern slavery statement. Pay on Sri Lankan tea estates is commonly below a living wage, but no problems have been reported at Greenfield.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | The supplying estate, Greenfield Bio Plantations, is Fairtrade certified, but Nature's Cuppa products are not shown carrying the Fairtrade mark. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour allegations against Nature's Cuppa or Greenfield Bio Plantations appear in news or NGO reporting. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Good Shopping Guide: EatRite Australasia · search the archive · Family-owned Brooklyn VIC company owning Nature's Cuppa; teas organically grown in Sri Lanka (NASAA/USDA Organic); rated B- (2018).
- Woolworths: Nature's Cuppa Organic Ceylon Premium Tea Bags · search the archive · Manufactured in Sri Lanka; organic; no Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance mark listed; sold nationally in Australia.
- AmCham Sri Lanka: Greenfield Bio Plantations Pvt Ltd · search the archive · Fairtrade certified since 2010; USDA/EU/JAS organic; own farms plus smallholder farmers.
- Arbor Teas: Jacob travels to the Greenfield Estate · search the archive · Uva highlands estate with about 170 staff; manager reported daily pay above local average and Fairtrade premium spent on schooling and worker housing.
- Grana: Nature's Cuppa · search the archive · Polish producer Grana makes Nature's Cuppa caffeine-free coffee substitute for the Australian market.
Published by Nature's Cuppa or its owner
- Nature's Cuppa: home page · search the archive · Aussie-owned (Brooklyn VIC); tea grown only on its certified organic Greenfield Bio Plantation in Sri Lanka; claims Fair Trade, no certifier named.
Company details
- Owned by
- EatRite Australasia
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Nature's Cuppa ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/natures-cuppa, 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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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Nature's Cuppa.