Tata Global Beverages (TGB) said it planned to achieve 100 per cent sustainable sourcing by 2020. The company’s sustainable sourcing strategy, according to a statement, has a major focus on sustainable agricultural practices.
TGB said its sustainability strategy rests on the five key pillars, including ethical sourcing, water management, climate change management, waste management and community development.
Earlier this week, global fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) major Unilever too announced that it was initiating a study to evaluate the environmental and economic feasibility of applying biological or non-pesticide methods for plant protection of tea crops in India as part of its Sustainable Living Plan. TGB said its commitment to reducing use of synthetic plant protection formulations in the supply chain was an integral part of its commitment to greater sustainability. TGB’s document ‘Guidelines on plant protection formulations’ outlines the vision to maintain sustainability in supply chain by supporting good agricultural practices, collaborations and partnerships, independent certifications, pilot projects and agricultural extension activities.
“This applies to all the tea that is purchased either through auctions or directly from suppliers,” TGB said.
In a statement, Ajoy Misra, Managing Director & CEO, TGB, said, “As a responsible player in the natural beverages segment, TGB cares deeply about sustainability and recognises the importance of systematically reducing the use of plant protection products in the tea industry and have been proactively advocating the same.”
TGB is one of the founding members of Trustea, a multi-stakeholder initiative led by the Tea Board of India.
The Trustea India Sustainability tea programme envisions verifying over 600 factories, covering five lakh workers and 40,000 small holders by December 2014.
