PG Tips moves towards a fully sustainable cuppa

PG Tips is working with the Rainforest Alliance as part of a drive by brand owner Unilever to move to sustainable production of tea throughout the world.

The Rainforest Alliance will ensure the tea used by PG tips has been grown using sustainable farming methods, and that the workers who pick it earn a fair wage in good working conditions.

At least 50 per cent of PG Tips tea already comes from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, and PG Tips is working towards being fully certified by 2010.

Susan Gregory, category marketing director, Unilever Foodsolutions, said: "We chose the Rainforest Alliance because it focuses on looking at the social, environmental and economic aspects of sustainability.

"Unilever has been practising sustainability on its estate in Kenya for decades, so obtaining certification for these practices seemed like a natural step forward."

The company is working to ensure its main tea suppliers become certified by the Rainforest Alliance, to maintain the same taste and qualty.

Statistics show that 61 per cent of tea drinkers agree that tea should be ethically sourced, and 72 per cent agree it is worth paying extra for products that are ethically produced or kinder to the environment.

PG tips is offering pubs a specially designed POS kit containing posters, tent cards and a customer promotion, running until November 1 2008, to win a £2,500 holiday voucher. For every POS kit ordered from the website, PG Tips will donate 50p to Unilever's tree planting initiative on its estate in Kericho, Kenya.