The world's largest tea company is relaunching a line of its top blends to herald its ambition to lead the industry in sustainability. In August, Ekaterra announced that the black, Darjeeling, green and chai blends under the flagship Tazo brand will now appear under the new moniker Tazo Regenerative.
The new name indicates that they are reformulated to comply with the strict standards set by the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA), non-profit group of experts based in California, United States. ROA operates a continuously updated framework for crop and food ingredient certification that exceeds USDA Organic criteria while also ensuring fairness for farmers.
Laraine Miller, President, Ekaterra Americas, said, "Tazo has always been a brand that challenges the status quo, and this regenerative organic transition is no exception. For too long, 'business as usual’ has been killing our planet. It's time for every company, including the entire tea industry, to overhaul their means of production to combat climate change and help people and the planet thrive.”
Tazo, founded in 1994, will undertake a multi-year effort to transition its full range of products to ROA's rating as Regenerative Organic Certified in pursuit of increased soil health, improved animal welfare, and economic stability and fairness for farmers and workers worldwide. The company announced it would source only Rainforest Alliance Certified teas and utilize Fair Trade USA certification across ingredients to protect the environment and ensure that farmers and workers are treated equitably.
The four Tazo reformulations include the company’s best-selling blends: Zen, Awake English Breakfast, Chai, and Darjeeling. All are now made with ingredients grown with verified regenerative organic agriculture practices that help conserve nature and protect biodiversity.
Tazo announced its aim to meet a number of ambitious milestones in the coming years:
- By 2022: Examine all business and set measurable targets to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion across the workforce and direct suppliers.
- By 2023: Ensure all priority materials (e.g., tree fiber, sugar, tea) are sourced from suppliers that have eliminated deforestation from their supply chains.
- By 2026: Ensure 100% of ingredients meet responsible sourcing and fair-trade standards, with a 30% reduction in Tazo's use of packaging materials.
- By 2029: Ensure that all direct suppliers and farm workers receive a living wage, and that tea and key ingredients, together comprising at least 80% of Tazo's ingredient volume, meet regenerative agriculture standards.
- By 2030, net-zero emissions and 45% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Elizabeth Whitlow, executive director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, said, "Tazo's dedication to investing in their supply chains and supporting farmers is completely in alignment with our mission: to heal a broken system, repair a damaged planet, and empower farmers and eaters to create a better future through regenerative organic agriculture.”
Tazo's new packaging declares: “This is more than a box of tea...By choosing this box of tea, you’re not just brewing a tasty blend. You’re helping create a better world.”
Tazo said that its long-term ambition is to transform the brand's entire business operations into a regenerative approach that challenges what the tea industry can do. At least 1% of annual sales, approximately $1.5 million in 2022, will be donated to mission-aligned organizations under the 1% for the Planet program.
The company encourages consumers to watch a Tik Tok video by offering to donate $1 for each view to the Rodale Institute, one of the non-profits behind ROA dedicated to education, farmer training, and research in regenerative organic agriculture.
Farms stand to benefit from adapting regenerative soil strategies, which agronomists say can produce long overdue gains in productivity.
Tazo is a storied, somewhat quirky brand that was founded in 1994 by Steve Smith in Portland, Oregon, U.S., with proceeds from the 1993 sale of Stash Tea, a brand he helped start in 1972. In 1999 Starbucks acquired Tazo for $8 million and later moved the company to Kent, Washington, where it gradually shed its "new age" aura. In 2017, Unilever paid $384 million to bring the brand under its Ekaterra tea umbrella, which was spun off in 2021.