Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
US tea brand selling herbal teas and chai.
Tazo can't show that the people who grow its tea in India and Kenya 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 Tazo, selling the same kinds of things.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production 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 2 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
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listNames its suppliers
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly 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 Tazo'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
From its parent group's supplier list, which covers Tazo and its sister brands. Tazo publishes no breakdown of its own, so the countries shown are the group's. 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 |
| Kenya | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malawi | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Rwanda | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Argentina | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Uganda | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Zimbabwe | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Tanzania | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Low |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| South Africa | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Laos | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mozambique | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| Nepal | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| South Korea | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
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
- Modern slavery statement
- Publishes supplier list
Research notes Tazo publishes no country breakdown for its teas and herbs. Its owner publishes a tea sourcing list naming suppliers in about 20 countries, led by Sri Lanka, Kenya, Bangladesh and India, with no volumes; the countries here are that group list, with no split for Tazo. The owner says almost 98% of its tea is Rainforest Alliance certified, a standard that is weak on wages; Tazo's herbs are not covered. In 2022 Tazo set a goal of a living wage or income for suppliers and farm workers by 2029, but has reported no progress and its site no longer mentions it; the owner aims for a living wage or income across its value chain by 2040, with no measurable steps due sooner.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Parent LIPTON Teas and Infusions publishes a 2025 UK modern slavery statement. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Problem found | Tracks the 2023 BBC exposé of sexual abuse on Kenyan estates owned by Tazo's parent group. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | Some Tazo blends use Fair Trade USA certified ingredients; no Fairtrade certification across the range is claimed. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No Australian modern slavery statement from LIPTON Teas and Infusions was identified. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- A 2023 BBC investigation found women were sexually exploited by supervisors on Kenyan tea estates then owned by Tazo's parent; Rainforest Alliance suspended the estates' certificate until July 2023 and a manager was dismissed. It is not disclosed whether tea from these estates went into Tazo. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Unilever's response to allegations of sexual abuse on Kenyan tea plantations (BHRRC) · search the archive · 2023 BBC investigation into Kericho estates owned by the group; staff suspended and independent investigation commissioned
- TAZO to become a regenerative brand (PR Newswire, Aug 2022) · search the archive · Living wage or income for direct suppliers and farm workers by 2029; blends use Fair Trade USA ingredients and Rainforest Alliance teas
- Better livelihoods (LIPTON Teas and Infusions) · search the archive · Almost 98% of group tea Rainforest Alliance certified; tea supplier list published
- LIPTON Teas and Infusions 2023 Tea Sourcing List (updated May 2024) · search the archive · Names its tea suppliers and estates in about 20 countries, most in Sri Lanka, Kenya, Bangladesh and India; no volumes
- LIPTON Teas and Infusions publishes its 2025 sustainability report · search the archive · Living wage or income ambition across the value chain by 2040; pilots at two Kenyan suppliers
- Modern slavery statement (LIPTON Teas and Infusions) · search the archive · Publishes 2025 UK and Canada modern slavery statements
Published by Tazo or its owner
- Our story (TAZO) · search the archive · Site run by Lipton Teas and Infusions United States (2026); shows a Rainforest Alliance seal
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Tazo ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/tazo, 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 Tazo.