Global respect: ecology and sustainability
Sustainable tea production must ensure future generations
“If you are cold, tea will warm you
If you are too heated, it will cool you
If you are depressed, it will cheer you
If you are exited, it will calm you. “
-William Gladstone
Ecology
In A.C. Perch’s Teashop we have a wide selection of organic products. The prerequisite for our choice of organic products is that the quality of the product remain high. It is not enough that the item is organic. It must also be at a level of quality that can be justified. Ecology is not always an expression of quality.
The Ecology Label is a European label that shows that the product is approved as an organic food. The label is used on all organic products in Europe and is subject to strict requirements. All our organic products are regularly checked by the Danish Food and Drug Administration.
At A.C. Perch’s we take ecology very seriously. Ecology is a choice that you make. We buy organic tea when it is of good quality. The ecological market seeks to transfer the objective of sustainability to practical action. The ecological principles, which continue to be negotiated and adopted by ecological movements around the world, form the basis for the rules to be followed by the whole ecological chain. From the plantation to the table.
The ecological rules are a compromise between ideals and what is practically possible in today’s field and under the conditions of production.
Sustainability
In many of the countries where the tea is grown, there are challenges in ensuring sustainable production. A. C. Perch’s has for several years supported various projects that support local communities and address problems around, among other things, Human Trafficking.
Right now we are working with the Danish aid organization Human Practice Foundation (HPF) and Nepal Help to establish a plantation in Solukumbu, which is one of the poorest areas in Nepal. The aim of the project is to create a new foundation of life for the small town of Bhakanje in Nepal and to raise the local standard of living and minimise the risk of the area being slowly dismantled due to a lack of jobs and development opportunities. Follow our work with Bhakanje Tea Estate – The world’s highest house.
THE ETHICAL TEA PARTNERSHIP (ETP)
We are proud to be part of the Ethical Tea Partnership, which operates three important sustainability programmes to improve social and environmental conditions in the plantations, factories and gardens. Monitoring & Certification, Producer Support and Strategic Sustainability Monitoring & Certification
The Monitoring Programme, which has been running since 1997, helps manufacturers tackle problems and meet international social and environmental standards. The program is free of charge for manufacturers, and audits are performed by third-party independent auditors.
Product Support
ETP offers training and support in 5 key areas that manufacturers often have difficulty with:
- Health and safety of factory
- Fair treatment of workers
- Gender
- Agrochemical Management
- Environmental management
The training programmes help management understand their responsibilities to workers and the environment. Other training, such as the safe use of pesticides, ensures that employees maintain safety around themselves and their surroundings.
Strategic Sustainability
ETP addresses a number of complex problems that go beyond the normal scope of monitoring, auditing and certification. Issues include climate change, social development, and supporting smallholder communities. These work programmes help to protect future supply and livelihoods. Examples of these projects include: helping smallholders adapt to climate change, as well as improving the livelihoods of smallholders, etc.
