Prana Chai
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 making sticky chai with honey and spices.
Prana Chai can't show that the people who grow its tea in India and Sri Lanka earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Better-graded tea
Graded higher than Prana Chai, selling the same kinds of things.
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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, unaudited supply chain 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 countries such as India and China, 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: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Prana Chai'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
Prana Chai names some of the countries its tea comes from: India, Sri Lanka and Guatemala. 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 |
| KenyaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala | No guarantee of rights | 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). Source
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Prana Chai blends its chai by hand in its own Melbourne factory. It says its tea and spices come from India, Sri Lanka, Guatemala and beyond, without saying which ingredient comes from where or in what shares. It names no estates or farms and publishes no audits or prices. It says its tea supplier provides Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance tea, but its products carry no certification mark. It admits ethically traded Indian tea may be picked by workers on under US$2 a day. It gives $2 per retail bag to Mukti Australia for girls' schooling in India and children in Sri Lanka's tea areas, over $61,000 so far. Tea from India is on the US forced labour list.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Tea from India, one of Prana Chai's stated origins, is on the 2024 US Department of Labor list for forced labour. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Prana Chai products carry no Fairtrade mark; the company only says its tea supplier provides Fairtrade certified tea. View |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | No Certified B Corp listing found for Prana Chai. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | No modern slavery statement found; the company is likely below the A$100m reporting threshold. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No allegations involving Prana Chai were found in news or NGO reporting. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- 2024 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor - US DOL · search the archive · Tea from India listed for forced labour.
- Prana Chai launches charity to support girls' education - BeanScene (2021) · search the archive · June 2021 launch with Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission (India) and Wings of Hope (Sri Lanka).
Published by Prana Chai or its owner
- Prana Chai Original Blend 1kg - Prana Chai · search the archive · Tea and spices from India, Sri Lanka, Guatemala and beyond; Australian honey; blended by hand in Melbourne; no certification marks.
- Prana Chai company information · search the archive · Founded 2009 in St Kilda; own Melbourne factory since 2023; sold in 57 countries to about 4,000 cafes.
- The Importance of Ethically Sourced Ingredients - Prana Chai · search the archive · Tea supplier provides Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance tea; no suppliers, estates or origins named.
- Charity - Prana Chai · search the archive · $2 per 250g retail bag to Mukti Australia for girls' education in India and tea-plantation children in Hatton, Sri Lanka; $61,000 given.
- Direct support for workers and their families - Prana Chai · search the archive · Says ethically traded Indian tea may be picked by workers earning under US$2 a day and its control over payments is limited.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Prana Chai ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/prana-chai, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Prana Chai.