STiR coffee and tea magazine

32 STiR coffee and tea | 2025 Quarter 3 Autumn (Sep/Oct/Nov) Wollenhaupt sources from many different origins and suppliers, such as this organic tea garden in Mozambique. Photo credit: Wollenhaupt GmbH The fact that one product can contain several items from different origins makes compliance difficult for tea companies, especially as farms, such as the lemon balm one pictured above, are so far up the value stream. Photo credit: Wollenhaupt GmbH The Data Dilemma Compliance isn't just about willpower; it's also about infrastructure. Collecting and verifying data across global supply chains demands time, staff, and technical expertise. "There are many sustainability aspects to be addressed, and you can only manage what you understand," Ladehoff said. "That means gathering data on everything — from energy and water consumption to pesticide use at origin farms." One major challenge cited by Ladehoff involves estimating Scope 3 CO₂e emis- sions, a significant proportion of which are generated during agricultural production. "Ideally, we need primary data for every grower: land use changes such as deforesta- tion, water use, soil health metrics, soil organic carbon, tillage practices, fertilizer types and amounts used per hectare, biodiversity indicators, and more," elaborated Lade- hoff. "Once we know our full company carbon footprint, we can develop a climate strategy. But climate is just one piece in this intricate construct. We are also dealing with human rights, circular economy, waste management, and living wages." Wollenhaupt engages external service providers for technical tasks like CO₂e in- ventory, further stretching both budget and bandwidth. "It's not just bureaucracy; it's about transforming intent into meaningful action," said Ladehoff. Financial and Operational Realities Unlike multinational giants with extensive legal and sustainability departments, mid- sized firms such as Wollenhaupt often struggle to keep pace. "The time it takes us to provide data is increasing annually," noted Ladehoff. "Sometimes we're simply not able to go into the detail that's asked of us." Wollenhaupt's purchasing manager for non-food, Fabian Fister, offered a practical example. "Packaging is an important aspect of sustainability, but it's not just about materials. It's how we handle packing as a whole. Our mantra is reduce, reuse, re- place, recycle." He added: "It's all embedded into our day-to-day decisions, but it's time-intensive, especially when balancing customer requests, production timelines, and compliance frameworks." Downstream Dynamics, a Shared Responsibility Interestingly, some German tea companies, including Wollenhaupt, are participating in industry initiatives to establish grievance mechanisms under LkSG §8, even though they're not legally bound to do so. "It's a good idea to not just have a grievance mecha- nism that works on paper," said Ladehoff, "but one that can actually reach the most vulnerable people in our supply chains." What Lies Ahead? As debates continue about the future of the LkSG and the roll-out of the CS- DDD, one truth remains: German tea companies must brace for an era where sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have but rather a license to operate. "Despite the challenges," Ladehoff reflected, "we strongly believe that taking care of sus- tainability creates the foundation to sur- vive in the market in the medium and long term." For German tea sector players, as well as their peers across the EU, the road ahead will likely demand greater invest- ment in transparency, technology, and collaboration. However, it's also an op- portunity to redefine what ethical sourc- ing entails and to demonstrate that legacy brands can evolve with the times. "We've been doing this since 1881," said Lade- hoff, "and we've weathered many storms. This one, too, we'll face, preferably hand in hand with our partners, suppliers, and customers."

• Cover