Teavana
Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Starbucks' tea brand.
In 2023, supervisors sexually exploited women workers on Kenyan tea estates, including those of a supplier to Teavana's parent Starbucks.
Also worth knowing
Teavana has only partly put this right.
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Why it's graded Harm on record
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, clear breaches of labour conditions and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- Holds the grade back: It's Harm on record because of a serious confirmed problem from the last 5 years that it has only partly put right: abuse of workers, last recorded in 2023.
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 rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: abuse of workers, last recorded in 2023
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of child labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- 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 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
- 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
Where its tea is grown
These are Starbucks' tea origins across all its brands; Teavana doesn't say where its own tea is grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Kenya | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malawi | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Rwanda | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Uganda | Systematic violations | Far 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) Source
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Starbucks says the tea its central tea team buys comes from Rainforest Alliance certified farms, a standard that requires only the legal minimum wage, and it is an Ethical Tea Partnership member. It names its tea origins (Argentina, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Uganda) but gives no shares and does not say which estates supply Teavana. In Australia, Starbucks cafes no longer brand their tea as Teavana and packaged Teavana is only sold by online resellers.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Records Starbucks suspending purchases from James Finlay Kenya in 2023 and its response on Sri Lankan tea gardens. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Starbucks buys Rainforest Alliance certified tea (99% in FY2022) rather than Fairtrade. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Starbucks EMEA Ltd, Starbucks Coffee Company (UK) Ltd and Starbucks Canada publish a joint modern slavery statement (FY25). View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Starbucks Australia (licensee RG Withers) lodged a 2024-25 statement naming Starbucks Corporation's tea origin countries. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | A 2023 BBC Africa Eye and Panorama investigation found supervisors sexually exploiting women workers on Kenyan tea estates, including those of James Finlay, a tea supplier to Starbucks (BHRRC, 2023). Source · archived copy | PartlyStarbucks suspended tea purchases from James Finlay in Kenya; no support or compensation for affected women has been reported. |
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.
- In 2023 the Daily Mirror reported poor conditions on Sri Lankan tea gardens; Starbucks said it had bought very low volumes from some of them, all Rainforest Alliance certified, and was tracking their recertification (BHRRC, 2023). Source
- In 2024 the US National Consumers League sued Starbucks, alleging its claims of 100% ethically sourced coffee and tea are misleading because its supply chain includes farms linked to child labour and other abuses; a Washington DC court let the case proceed in 2025. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- BHRRC: Starbucks' response to allegations of abuses in its tea supply chain (2023) · search the archive · 99% of FY22 tea Rainforest Alliance certified; low-volume purchases from named Sri Lankan gardens; recertification tracking
- BHRRC: True cost of our tea: sexual abuse on Kenyan tea farms revealed (2023) · archived copy · BBC 2023 investigation; James Finlay supplies Starbucks; Starbucks suspended purchasing from Finlay in Kenya
- Starbucks Australia modern slavery statement 2024-25 (Australian register) · search the archive · Starbucks Corporation sources tea from Argentina, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Uganda; Rainforest Alliance farms
- Starbucks Teavana Mint Majesty sachets (eBay Australia) · search the archive · Teavana packaged tea offered to Australian buyers online
Published by Teavana or its owner
- Starbucks Australia: The tea on our tea range (2025) · search the archive · Australian cafes describe a Starbucks tea range without Teavana branding
- Starbucks modern slavery statement FY25 · search the archive · FY25: 2,848 tonnes of tea bought from Rainforest Alliance certified farmers; Ethical Tea Partnership member since 2005
Company details
- Owned by
- Starbucks
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Teavana ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/teavana, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Harm on record means
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