Indian tea industry to develop 'Trustea' code

KOLKATA: The Indian tea industry would develop the 'Trustea' code for production of safe and hygienic teas as a part of sustainability initiative programme involving all the stakeholders, including Tea Board.

Launching the 'India Sustainable Tea Program' here, Tea Board Chairman M G V K Bhanu said the sustainability initiative would entail establishment of the 'Trustea' code.

The cost of cultivation of tea for adopting the programme by the estates would be marginal, Bhanu said at the launch here last night.

The programme was being jointly funded by the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Hindustan Unilever Limited ( HUL), while Solidaridad would be the implementing agency and Rainforest Alliance being the technical adviser.

Managing Director of Solidaridad Asia Shatadru Chattopadhay said that the five-year programme targeted production of 500 million kg of tea from 600 factories, which has adopted the code of sustainable manufacturing practices.

He said this effort would have a direct beneficial impact on the lives of five lakh tea workers.