INDIA
UNICEF & ETP Fight Abuse
A ground-breaking new partnership to improve opportunities for tens of thousands of children in tea communities to help reduce their vulnerability to trafficking and abuse, was announced in September by UNICEF and the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP). The three-year program is supported and funded by IDH (the Sustainable Trade Initiative); ETP members Tesco, OTG (Meßmer), Tata Global Beverages (Tetley, Tata Tea), and Taylors of Harrogate (Yorkshire Tea); and Typhoo. The program will initially work with 350 communities on more than 100 estates in three districts of Assam, and has the potential to serve as a model to protect children across other rural communities. UK supermarket Tesco is the first international retailer to partner with ETP and has played a leading role in bringing together the coalition of organizations behind the program as part of its ongoing commitment to improve conditions across its supply chains. The partnership is the first of its kind to bring together all key stakeholders in the tea industry – public and private organizations and the supply chain – to tackle the problem of child exploitation across the sector. Child protection issues are a huge challenge in India, especially in rural areas including those that grow and produce tea. The exploitation and abuse of children in these communities is exacerbated by poverty, gender, caste, and a lack of education. To learn more contact Jon Copping email jon.copping@ethicalteapartnership.org