Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate

This project focused on developing a sustainable supply of premium tea. This is being achieved through the introduction of a business model that guarantees quality and sustains it by sharing higher returns equitably amongst the tea producers, the factory operators and Bettys and Taylors (B&T). The project works as a partnership between B&T, OCIR Thé (The Rwandan national tea authority), the factory owners, the Rainforest Alliance and the farmers who supply the factories.
The overall aim of this project was to strengthen tea business models in Rwanda by testing a business model that incentivises factories, farmers and estates to improve production and processing techniques, resulting in improved quality and a higher value that also protects the environment in Rwanda.The project was implemented across three factories listed below owned by the Rwanda Tea Authority and privatised during the life of the project -

• Gisovu Tea Factory with 3,634 associated smallholders
• Kitabi Tea Factory with 4,978 associated smallholders
• Mata Tea Factory with 1,786 associated smallholders

The project consisted of two main components –

• The aim of the Quality Improvement component was to increase the availability of consistent high quality tea for use in Yorkshire Gold and Yorkshire Tea blends. This was to be achieved by working in partnership with the factories to identify the key issues affecting the quality of their tea and advising them on undertaking measures to address these issues.
• Rainforest Alliance (RA) Certification with the implementation of the Sustainable Agriculture Network Standard (SAN). This component focussed on the implementation of the SAN Standard, a standard combining criteria and indicators on environmental, social and economic best management practices, and resulting in the “Rainforest Alliance Certified” seal for products.

The project has now been completed and the result of this hard work has not only been that the quality of tea from the factories has improved, but B&T have been able to launch a Rwanda tea in the UK as one of their three ‘seasons pick’ offerings under their famous Yorkshire Gold brand. The three tea factories involved in the project have now been privatised and the new owners have approached B&T and Rainforest Alliance to introduce the same model in other factories that they own and with the farmers that sell to them.

The key achievements and impacts of the project can be summarised as follows:

• Volumes of tea from Rwanda purchased by Taylors of Harrogate have doubled as a direct result of project activities
• Training on sustainable agriculture delivered to 10,398 smallholders through a train-the-trainer approach
• Working environment improved for over 2,500 workers, through better health & safety and sanitary conditions
• 1,554 hectares and 1,786 producers Rainforest Alliance certified, a further 8,612 producers recommended for certification
• Agreed minimum wage in the tea sector raised by 40%
• 15m litres of wastewater treated per year rather than being discharged into local watercourses
• Over 64,000 indigenous trees planted in the estates and communities over 2010 and 2011.

View a short video on the objectives and achievements of the project.