T2
Partly verifiedT2 isn't doing enough to protect workers: workers in the countries tea usually comes from, such as India and Kenya are very unlikely to earn a living wage, and unions and workers' rights are heavily restricted in the countries tea usually comes from, such as India and China. It does have some safeguards, as independent auditors check its main factories.
Last researched 8 October 2026
Not doing enough. Workers in the supply chain are likely underpaid, unprotected or in danger, and in the worst cases face forced or child labour. Look for a better-graded alternative. What this grade means
Good: 2 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 0 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 1
- Does not pay a living wage
Where it's made: not disclosed
Showing where tea products are usually made instead.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| India 30% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | High |
| Kenya 25% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri Lanka 20% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China 15% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malawi 5% | Some protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- Tea estate wages in Assam, Sri Lanka and Kenya are among the lowest of any export crop, often paid partly in kind (housing, rations).
- Certified B Corp: Whole-company assessment. Labour is one part of the score, so it is supportive rather than proof.
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Modern slavery statement
T2 is a Melbourne-founded tea retailer. Unilever owned it from 2013, and since 2022 it has belonged to LIPTON Teas and Infusions, owned by private equity firm CVC. It has been a certified B Corp since 2020, scoring 104.5 in 2023, and says all its tea ingredients have been certified sustainable (Rainforest Alliance, Fair for Life or organic) since 2021, and that all teaware suppliers are SMETA or BSCI audited. It does not publish a list of its tea estates, the share of tea from each origin, or any wage data for the estates that supply it.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp directory | Found | Certified B Corp since February 2020, with an overall score of 104.5 in its 2023 assessment (Workers 25.0). View ↗ |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No modern slavery statement filed under T2's own name was located; its parent publishes UK and Canada statements. View ↗ |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Found | The US Department of Labor lists tea from India for forced labour and tea from Kenya for child labour. View ↗ |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | Some T2 products carry Fairtrade certification, but it covers only a small share of sales. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | Coverage of tea supply chain abuses names T2's parent company, but no T2-specific entry was located. View ↗ |
Confirmed issues
Problems confirmed by a court, regulator, completed investigation or the company itself. Issues more than 15 years old, or 10–15 years old where the company made amends, are removed. Problems a company finds and publishes itself, and is fixing, are shown but don't count against it.
| When | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | T2 sells Assam tea, and Oxfam's 2019 investigation found that Assam estate workers are paid cash wages well below the state minimum and far below a living wage. In 2020 Be Slavery Free and Project Didi Australia reported pickers earning as little as AU$2.80 a day and asked T2 to commit to a living wage within three years. | Not known No public response from T2 to the 2020 living wage campaign has been reported. Its parent LIPTON Teas and Infusions has a group goal of a living wage or income across its value chain by 2040, but ther |
Sources (12)
- T2 (tea products company) - Wikipedia · archived copy · Melbourne HQ; bought by Unilever in 2013; sold with Unilever's tea business to CVC Capital Partners in 2022, now LIPTON Teas and Infusions
- T2 Tea to exit Singapore, closing three remaining stores (Inside Retail, March 2026) · archived copy · Ownership via CVC/LIPTON Teas and Infusions; exit from UK/US in 2023 and from Singapore in 2026
- t2 tea - B Corp directory · archived copy · Certified B Corp since February 2020; 2023 score 104.5 (Workers 25.0, Community 26.2)
- T2 - B Corp certified page · archived copy · Entire tea range sustainably sourced from 1 June 2021; all teaware suppliers audited to SMETA or BSCI
- T2 Sustainability Report March 2019 - March 2020 · archived copy · Certifications used (UTZ/Rainforest Alliance, Fair for Life, organic); origins named include Sri Lanka, Japan and Nepal; no origin shares or supplier list
- T2 achieves B Corp accreditation (Food & Drink Business, June 2020) · archived copy · Over 70% of tea certified sustainable in 2020; teaware suppliers SMETA 6.0 or BSCI audited
- Low wages fuelling modern slavery for tea workers (Uniting Church Insights, May 2020) · archived copy · Be Slavery Free and Project Didi campaign asking T2 to commit to a living wage for Assam workers earning as little as AU$2.80 a day; no T2 response reported
- Cuppa campaign to help Assam's tea workers (Indian Link, June 2020) · archived copy · Campaign launched 21 May 2020 asking T2 to commission a living wage study and raise wages within three years; no response from T2 or Unilever reported
- Labour Rights & Tea Estates of Assam (Drishti IAS, Oct 2019, summarising Oxfam) · archived copy · Oxfam 2019 found Assam estate cash wages well below the state minimum, with poor housing, sanitation and water
- Better livelihoods - LIPTON Teas and Infusions · archived copy · Parent company's tea almost 98% Rainforest Alliance certified; community services on its Kenyan estates
- LIPTON Teas and Infusions publishes its 2025 sustainability report · archived copy · Parent ambition of a living wage or income across the value chain by 2040; 2025 Kenyan pilots closed 50% of the living wage gap with two suppliers
- Modern slavery statement - LIPTON Teas and Infusions · archived copy · Parent company publishes UK and Canada modern slavery statements (2025)
Last researched 8 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.