Stash Tea
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
US company selling bagged and loose teas.
Stash Tea can't show that the people who grow its tea in Egypt and Vietnam 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 Stash Tea, 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 rightsSome 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, partly in countries with poor worker rights
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 Stash 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
Stash Tea names some of the countries its tea comes from: Egypt, Italy, the United States 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 |
| Sri LankaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Egypt | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Italy | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below 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).
Research notes Stash names the origin of some herbal ingredients (chamomile from Egypt, bergamot from Italy, peppermint from the US Pacific Northwest, cinnamon oil from Vietnam) but not where its black and green tea leaves are grown. Only a handful of organic teas are Fair Trade certified. It became a Certified B Corp in 2017 and renewed in 2019, but no later recertification was found and its current pages do not mention it. It publishes no supplier list, audit results or wage information.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp directory | Unclear | Certified B Corp from 2017, renewed 2019; no confirmation of current certification found. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Only eight organic Stash teas are Fair Trade certified; the main range is not. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour rights allegations against Stash Tea are recorded. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Stash Tea's B Corp benefits are visible (World Tea News) · search the archive · Certified B Corp in September 2017 and renewed in fall 2019
- Stash Cinnamon Apple Chamomile (iHerb) · search the archive · Stash teas sold by iHerb, an online retailer that delivers internationally, including to Australia
- Stash Tea Company (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Founded 1972 in Portland; owned by Yamamotoyama
Published by Stash Tea or its owner
- Stash Tea origins · search the archive · Chamomile from Egypt, bergamot from Calabria (Italy), US peppermint, Vietnamese cinnamon oil; no tea leaf origins
- Stash Tea blog: fair trade · search the archive · Eight organic teas listed as Fair Trade certified, a small share of the range
- Stash Tea: our story · search the archive · Stash started in Portland in 1972; acquired by Yamamotoyama (timeline lists 1991); non-GMO Project certification 2017
Company details
- Owned by
- Yamamotoyama (Japan)
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Stash Tea ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/stash-tea, 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 Stash Tea.