Turning words into collective action at ETP’s Kenya Tea Forum

This applies whether we’re considering certification – how certification bodies must address the inaccessibility of high costs, bureaucratic processes, and paperwork, and establish value in what all these efforts bring.

Or, in the stalemate of achieving fairer wages for tea pluckers. How by driving down prices for consumers for competitive control, we are missing the point that consumers will pay what the market puts forward. That quality needs to triumph over quantity, so that value can be distributed to those growing and harvesting the product itself.

And, in preventing abuses such as sexual exploitation and GBV, which are intrinsically linked to wage issues – how can we create the safe, open spaces necessary for a zero-tolerance approach across the industry?

There are a lot of hidden truths in the tea industry, masquerading behind profit lines and a stubborn slowness to adapt. The next generation aren’t looking to the tea sector for work – they have seen and experienced the poverty this brings first-hand. The notion of endless cheap, female dominated, unregulated and unrepresented labour is not sustainable.

The questions raised at our two-day event were mammoth. I remember thinking to myself before the forum, are we covering too much, especially given the short time available to us? Would we be met with exasperation, with blank faces? But no, these debates are on the tips of all our tongues. There is a willingness and readiness among our organisations to challenge ourselves, creating the perfect opportunity for action. That’s why, instead of feeling overwhelmed by the tasks ahead, I left feeling encouraged.

And amongst the sombre topics, there were moments of celebration. We heard that ETP’s report on policy recommendations, shared with the Ministry, showed a small (yet significant) move in female land ownership. The policy landscape in Kenya shows signs of strength in its environmental scope, and even greater potential if we can align policies with priorities and target the root issues.

As ETP, we can’t decide what moves are made by national players or government bodies. But it felt hugely significant that we did have government representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture join us for the forum. It signifies our role as convenor, facilitator, and, hopefully, thought provoker.

To that end, I encourage you to look out for the full report from our Kenya Tea Forum. Here our discussions will be solidified into concrete actions and recommendations – that we’ll share and continue to push for.

I’m excited to see the legacy of this forum. I believe it can be an important step in the future of the tea industry and the people that work within it.