Ahmad Tea does not own tea gardens. We work with independent tea producers around the world and purchase tea from them to create our blends.
Hand Picked Profit Shared is our way of sharing more of the value from the tea we buy with the people who picked it.
Each year, we make an additional payment to eligible tea workers in certain gardens we source from.
A living wage is the amount a person needs to earn to afford basic needs such as food, housing, healthcare, education and transport in the place where they live.
The living wage gap is the difference between what a worker currently earns and what they would need to earn to reach that living wage level.
In some tea-growing regions, workers’ wages are set at levels below what independent benchmarks define as a living wage.
Hand Picked Profit Shared contributes toward closing the living wage gap. It does not fully solve the issue on its own.
Living wages across the tea industry require action from producers, brands, retailers and consumers. This programme is our contribution within the tea we buy.
Payments are made to eligible tea workers who picked the tea we purchased in the previous year and who have been identified as earning below our living wage threshold.
Not every worker in a garden receives a payment – only those who qualify under the programme.
No. It applies only to gardens that meet our Green Standard, which covers quality, social responsibility and environmental practices.
We focus on working with suppliers who meet these standards.
The payment is linked to the volume of tea we purchase from a qualifying garden.
It does not cover all tea produced by that garden, nor tea sold to other buyers.
Payments are made digitally and directly into eligible workers’ bank accounts.
Digital payments provide transparency and help support financial independence, particularly in regions where cash-based systems have traditionally limited access to banking.
No. It is an additional payment and cannot replace or reduce wages, benefits or other payments owed to tea workers.
The programme is reviewed annually and may evolve as we learn and expand responsibly.
Our aim is to grow participation, but payments are not contractually guaranteed in future years.
Improving incomes in the tea sector is complex. Prices, productivity, regulations and supply chain structures all play a role.
Hand Picked Profit Shared is a practical way for us to contribute directly and transparently, while continuing to work with partners across the industry on longer-term solutions.
We aim to expand participation across our sourcing regions and increase the number of tea workers who receive digital profit-share payments, alongside financial literacy support.
Our vision is tea a industry where every contribution is valued and every person shares in the rewards of their work.
