The India Sustainable Tea Program - trustea

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The India Sustainable Tea Program
The India Sustainable Tea Program is formally launched on 11th of July, 2013 with
the purpose of making Indian Tea industry sustainable.

About ‘The India Sustainable Tea Program’
The India Sustainable Tea Program is a locally developed and owned Indian sustainability tea
code.
It has been developed from the industry, by the industry and for the industry.
This meaningful, cost-effective and practical code does not compromise on globally accepted core
sustainability standards (ETP, RA, UTZ and FLO) and is based on industry realities and globally
accepted sustainability principles.
The program supports smallholders and estates in improving the competiveness of tea gardens by
increasing the scale of production, farm-organization, processing, new technologies and supply chain
development. The specific requirements related to estates, factories and smallholder groups are also
mentioned in the Code.

Trustea Code
About ‘Trustea Code’ (draft)
The ‘Trustea Code’ (draft) is designed to evaluate the social, economic, agronomic and environmental
performance of the Indian tea estates, smallholders and bought leaf factories (BLFs).
It is envisioned that the compliance with the code will not only improve competiveness amongst the tea
farms but will also enable them to achieve a compliance with national regulations and international
sustainability standards in a step-wise approach.
The verification under the code provides consumers with the assurance of responsible production and
provides producers the opportunity to credibly demonstrate this to their customers.
The certificate holder will either be a tea company, the bought leaf factory or the producer group.
However, the code will cover all aspects of production and manufacturing.

Trustea Code
The Compliance Mechanism
The code is designed towards a progressive achievement of complete compliance by the Year 4. The
‘Mandatory’ and ‘Other Criteria’ have been divided into four segment, the verified unit will have to meet 100% of the
mandatory control points and 50% other criteria and 50% other criteria in Year 1, 60% in Year 2, 70% in Year 3 and 80%
in Year 4. If a control point is not applicable, it will have to be adjusted accordingly for percentage of control points
required for verification. But a non-applicable control point will not get an additional percentage point.
In the first year the entity needs to undertake external verification audits by auditors approved by the code secretariat as
per the verification protocol and then such audits will be conducted every alternate year. In the years with no external
audit, the verified unit must conduct internal audits and supply the audit report to Indian Tea Code secretariat.
The total compliance percentage points (Mandatory and Other Criteria) are 81%, 84%, 87% and 90% in
the first, second, third, fourth year respectively.

Management system and continuous improvement1
Product Traceability2
Soil Conservation & Management3
Water Management4
Fertilizers5
Crop Protection Program (CPPs)6
Food Safety7
Health, Safety and Welfare of the Workforce8
Working Condition & Labour Rights9
Biodiversity and Environment Management10
Waste & Pollution Management11
The ‘Trustea Code’ consists of 11 Chapters which are as follows:
Trustea Code

Management system and continuous improvement
Product Traceability
Soil Conservation & Management
Water Management
Fertilizers
Crop Protection Program (CPPs)
Food Safety
Health, Safety and Welfare of the Workforce
Working Condition & Labour Rights
Biodiversity and Environment Management
Waste & Pollution Management
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
This will help plan, implement and monitor the unit’s
compliance with the code. An efficient system will help in
reducing the cost of compliance significantly and will help assess
the progress from Year 1-Year 4.
It includes a policy to demonstrate compliance with the code and
enable continuous improvement and designated personnel and
coordinator to manage compliance.
It requires map of the entity, legal requirements and its
compliances, internal audit system and non-compliance
redressal procedure including complaint filing process.
Finally, a policy on principles of business ethics also has to
be made available.
Trustea Code

Water Management
Fertilizers
Food Safety
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
This requires development of a clear and visually identifiable
system and process for avoiding the mixing of verified
products with non-verified products in its facilities,
including harvesting, handling, processing and packaging
of products as well as transportation.
Documented record and a designated person responsible for
the same are also required.
Trustea Code

Water Management
Fertilizers
Food Safety
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
This chapter highlights the principle of good manufacturing
practices for soil management; soil conservation;
improvement of soil fertility and prevention of soil
erosion.
Trustea Code

Water Management
Fertilizers
Food Safety
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
This chapter aims to ensure that the units (farming activities,
factory processing and household water) are using water
efficiently, with minimal loss and optimum use.
It aims at preventing water pollution and preserving
water for future generations.
Trustea Code

Water Management
Fertilizers
Food Safety
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
This chapter aims to ensure that fertilizers are selected,
applied and stored as per recommendation of a competent
government institution.
This will help to maintain soil fertility; minimize impacts on
humans, wildlife and environment and achieve optimum
productivity.
It also aims to enhance soil fertility using various techniques.
Trustea Code

Water Management
Fertilizers
Food Safety
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
The CPP helps tea growers and manufacturers to maintain the
yield and quality of tea leaf production.
This code encourages tea growers to critically review and
reduce the use of CPPs wherever possible and apply CPP in
the best way possible.
Trustea Code

Water Management
Fertilizers
Food Safety
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
This chapter helps the factory move towards compliance with
several Indian legislations (like Food safety and Standards Act,
2006) and gain greater control over the quality, safety of
tea and reduced rejection.
Trustea Code

Water Management
Fertilizers
Food Safety
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
The units are required to analyse and strive to prevent all
potential adverse effects on the health or working conditions
of workers and have an action plan in place to reduce and
prevent the risk of accidents in the workplace.
This requires a policy, management system, risk
assessment, tools, training and facilities to carry out work
in the safest way possible.
Trustea Code

Water Management
Fertilizers
Food Safety
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
The units are required to comply with national and state
labour legislations that apply to tea industry.
This includes aspects like Freely chosen employment;
Freedom of Association and Right to Collective
Bargaining; Child labour and young workers;
Discrimination and Equality of treatment; Working
hours; Wages and other social benefits; Working
conditions; Disciplinary actions and Grievance
mechanism.
Trustea Code

Water Management
Fertilizers
Food Safety
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
This chapter aims to reduce the impact on the land and the
habitat of native species.
Trustea Code

Water Management
Fertilizers
Food Safety
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
This chapter aspires to measure the amount and type of waste
produced, reduce the amount of waste, re-use products
where possible, recycle and properly dispose all the
remaining waste.
This requires a waste management plan; creating
awareness on the plan, and having clear procedure for
safe storage, handling and disposal of hazardous and
non- hazardous wastes.
Energy use also has to be monitored and units should aim at
improving energy efficiency.
Trustea Code

Farmer Support Centres (FSCs)
The program offers producers training in the code compliance, free of charge, through
three Farmer Support Centres (FSCs).
The main function of the FSCs will be providing
• Technical support on-field
• Strengthening smallholder cooperatives
• Providing training to trainers and
• Providing support to estates and smallholders in preparing audits and undertaking
improvements.

Benefits
The India Sustainable Tea Program aims to improve the livelihood of smallholders and estate
workers. Thus, securing long-term sustainability of the Indian tea industry will significantly benefit all
stakeholders of the tea industry.
It aims to
• Develop a sustainable tea industry in India
• Support higher yields addressing supply security
• Improve consumer safety leading to reputational benefits and better consumer loyalty
• Improve hygiene in factories addressing food safety issues
• Control and improve safe handling/use of pesticides
• Improve environmental performances
• Realize livelihood improvement of tea workers
• Improve image of Indian tea locally and globally

Implementing Partner Technical AdvisorFunding Body
The India Sustainable Tea Program is formally launched on 11th of July, 2013 with the purpose of making Indian Tea industry sustainable.
Supported by

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