Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/520302
STiR tea & coffee industry international 45 Greenpeace India executive director Samit Aich said the organization will "fight MHA's indefensible decision to block our domestic accounts" which contain donations from 77,000 Indian citizens. "Why are 340 people facing the loss of their jobs? Is it because we talked about pesticide-free tea, air pollution, and a cleaner, fairer future for all Indi- ans?" Aich told the Times of India. In May the Home Ministry further recommended that a domestic tax exemption be withdrawn for Greenpeace donors. The 50% deduction for NGOs is a provision of the Income Tax Act. The action against Greenpeace is part of a crackdown on NGOs that led the government to cancel the licenses of nearly 9,000 entities for alleged FCRA violations. The Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI), representing the agrochemical industry, subsequently filed a criminal defamation case against Greenpeace that will be heard in June. "Greenpeace India and its members have made several defamatory state- ments against the tea industry as well as pesticides industry in the defamatory report," according to the complaint as reported by DNA India. "These re- marks are highly defamatory to the manufacturers and marketers of pesticides in India who have suffered loss of reputation amongst their buyers, distribu- tors and the public at large." Greenpeace responded that "The purpose behind the report is to portray the use of pesticides at the farm level and also at the processed and packaged level in tea which millions of Indians consume every day since we are deep- ly concerned with the health and well-being of Indian consumers and also the sustainability of production in the tea sector which employs hundreds of thousands of small growers. There is absolutely no motive or intent to defame or harm the Indian tea industry." Tea industry response As expected, the study elicited a swift response from the industry's apex body, the Tea Board. Though the average Indian consumer of tea was not affected or even aware of the Greenpeace findings, it did have an impact on the image and reputation of Indian tea in the export market and among the stakeholders in countries that favor Indian tea, according to the board. The Tea Board and the Consultative Committee of Plantation Asso- ciations (CCPA) emphasized that Indian tea is subjected to extremely strict parameters, even by global standards. The Tea Board is also committed to identifying and advocating for even higher standards by partnering with the industry on a scientific pilot that will ascertain the feasibility of non-synthetic plant protection formulations for tea cultivation. Tata Global Beverages (TGB) issued a statement that the company is "committed to sustainable beverage production and consumption. Our sus- tainable sourcing strategy is focused on sustainable agricultural practices and describes our principles and our code of conduct in purchasing raw materi- als for our manufacturing units." Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) also stressed the safety of its brands. The company released 'Guidelines on the Use of Pesticides in Sustainable Tea Sourcing' in March 2014 and made a commitment to incorporate crop protection methods that did not rely on chemical pesticides. HUL had also set up HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) processes in all the factories. Both companies intend to gradually phase out reliance on chemical pesticides altogether and obtain 100% of their tea from sustainable sources. TGB and HUL are the market leaders in the branded tea segment. There are several programs initiated by the Tea Board together with other partners to ensure that the final product is considered safe for human con- sumption. Tea estates have adopted these practices and implementation has been in line with both national and international parameters. These initiatives include the Plant Protection Code, The India Tea Code or Trustea Code, the Rainforest Alliance, and others. Workers applying pesticides The majority of India's tea is hand plucked