Rishi Tea
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Independent Milwaukee importer of organic teas.
There's no proof the people who grow its tea earn more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and Rishi Tea has no full independent audit.
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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 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: 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 Rishi 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
Rishi Tea names some of the countries its tea comes from: China, Japan, Laos, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. The rest is shown as where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| KenyaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri LankaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Laos | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Vietnam | 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)
- Direct trade (self-reported)
Research notes Rishi says it buys directly from growers, mostly smallholder families, and pays 5-10 times commodity prices, but it names no farms, publishes no prices and reports no audits or wage data. Its range has carried USDA organic certification since 2002. It names origins in China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, plus South Asia, without volume shares. In 2006 it said 25-30% of its teas were fair trade certified; its current site no longer makes that claim.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Rishi's current range is sold as USDA certified organic and direct trade; no Fairtrade International certification is claimed. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Organic Growth (BizTimes Milwaukee, 2006) · search the archive · Milwaukee-based; about 95% of teas organic and 25-30% fair trade certified in 2006; blends and packs teas from growers worldwide
- Rishi Tea Organic Sencha Green Tea (Amazon.com.au) · search the archive · Rishi teas sold online to Australian shoppers through Amazon Australia
Published by Rishi Tea or its owner
- Direct Trade (Rishi Tea) · search the archive · Buys directly from growers in Thailand, Laos and other regions; pays 5-10x commodity prices; organic agriculture; no farms named
- About Rishi Tea · search the archive · Founded 1997 by Joshua Kaiser; USDA organic certified since 2002; origins China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Southeast and South Asia
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Rishi Tea ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/rishi-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 Rishi Tea.