Teekanne
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Family-owned Düsseldorf tea company.
Teekanne can't show that the people who grow its tea in India earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
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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 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 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 India, China and Indonesia, 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: Made mostly 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 Teekanne'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
Teekanne names some of the countries its tea comes from: India. 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 |
| 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 |
| 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). (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
Research notes All Teekanne black, green and rooibos tea is Rainforest Alliance certified, and about 80% of herbal and fruit teas; some lines are Fairtrade. It buys about 300 raw materials from about 150 suppliers in 50 countries but names few: tea from Kusum Tea's estates in Assam and Darjeeling (India). It uses Sedex and external CSR audits, but publishes no living wage commitment, grievance channel or audit results.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Certified | Teekanne has sold Fairtrade green and black teas since 2003, but only for some lines; most of the range is Rainforest Alliance certified. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No BHRRC allegations naming Teekanne were found. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Named by Oxfam Germany (2019) as a buyer of Assam tea in a study of poor estate conditions; no estate supplying Teekanne 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.
- Oxfam Germany's 2019 study of 50 Assam tea estates found wages under half a living wage and poor housing, including on certified estates; Teekanne, which buys Assam tea through intermediaries, said it had not found such problems at its estates. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Schwarzer Tee, weiße Weste - Oxfam Deutschland (2019) · search the archive · Assam estate study naming Teekanne as a buyer via intermediaries; wages below half a living wage
- Teekanne Country Tea Moroccan Mint (Brands of Germany, AU store) · search the archive · Teekanne tea offered online in AUD for delivery to Australia
Published by Teekanne or its owner
- Genuss aus Verantwortung: Klima-Fortschrittsbericht 2017-2025 (Teekanne) · search the archive · Tea from Kusum Tea estates in Assam and Darjeeling, India; 150 suppliers in 50 countries; 100% RA black/green/rooibos; about 1,300 staff
- Sustainable ingredients - Teekanne · search the archive · 100% certified black, green and rooibos tea; about 75% of herbal and fruit raw materials; origins in Asia and Africa
- Rainforest Alliance Initiative - Teekanne · search the archive · Rainforest Alliance partner since 2011; about 80% bought directly at origin; no countries named
- Partnerships - Teekanne · search the archive · Fairtrade tea since 2003 for some lines; Sedex member since 2019; IMO social monitoring
- Teekanne Policy for Sustainable Purchase of Tea, Herbs and Fruits · search the archive · Code of Conduct based on ILO conventions; risk-based CSR audits; no living wage or grievance commitment
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Employees
- About 1,300
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Teekanne ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/teekanne, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Teekanne.