Ronnefeldt
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Family-owned Frankfurt tea house selling premium teas.
Ronnefeldt 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.
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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 Ronnefeldt'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
Ronnefeldt names some of the countries its tea comes from: China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, New Zealand and Colombia. 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 |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| New Zealand | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well 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).
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Ronnefeldt sources tea from China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, East Africa, New Zealand and Colombia, buying directly from some gardens and the rest through dealers; it gives no shares by country. Suppliers must follow its code of conduct banning child and forced labour, and it has worked with the Ethical Tea Partnership since 2013. About 24% of its tea is organic (2024). It funds the Childaid Network in Assam but publishes no supplier list, audit results or living wage commitment for tea workers. No labour abuses at its suppliers have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Responded to the Resource Centre's 2021 survey of German tea firms on Indian plantation working conditions; no allegations against it are recorded. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Ronnefeldt's range is not Fairtrade certified; Fairtrade is one of several standards it asks suppliers to follow. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No Ronnefeldt modern slavery statement is on the Australian register. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Not assessed in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark, which covers large companies. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Ronnefeldt (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · Responded to 2021 survey on Indian tea plantation conditions; no allegations recorded
- Ronnefeldt products (Amazon.com.au) · search the archive · Ronnefeldt teas sold online in Australia
Published by Ronnefeldt or its owner
- Ronnefeldt Sustainability Report 2024 · search the archive · Origins; supplier code; ETP since 2013; 24% organic; Childaid Network; 136 employees; no living wage commitment for suppliers
- Ronnefeldt Sustainability Report 2018 · search the archive · Family-owned since 1823; buys direct from gardens in India, Japan and Colombia, others via dealers
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Employees
- About 136
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Ronnefeldt ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/ronnefeldt, 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 Ronnefeldt.