After the release of Greenpeace report highlighting the presence of toxic pesticide residues in tea, the tea industry got divided on the issue.
Greenpeace reported last month that it tested samples of branded packaged teas that dominate the tea market and found that a large number of samples tested positive for a variety of toxic pesticides.
DDT was also present in some tea samples even though it is no longer registered for use in agriculture in India.
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has assured their consumer safety commitment and announced Non-Pesticide Management initiatives as the first step to curb pesticides from tea totally.
Greenpeace has urged Tata Global Beverages (TGBL) to commit a universal approach that helps to eliminate pesticides in tea.
On the other hand, TGBL is committed to an approach of reducing pesticide usage in tea which will not ensure a phase out of pesticides from tea.
Greenpeace had shared the findings of its research with all the companies before releasing the report and has been engaging with the companies in the matter of pesticides since then
As a result, companies like HUL and Girnar has announced measures to eliminate pesticides from their supply chain, whereas TGBL sponsored for reduction in pesticides use.
The attitude of TGBL to address the pesticide issue is inadequate and this places a huge question on their commitment to consumer safety, said, Neha Saigal, senior campaigner, Greenpeace India.
Substitution based approaches are not a solution and a holistic ecosystem based tactic that tea companies must adopt and advocate for is need of the hour, added Saigal.
Being a market leader, TGB is committed to give consumers pesticide-free tea. Consumers link TATA with reliability and sustainability, and they expect the company to show commitment to whatever it takes to supply clean beverage.
Meanwhile, agrochemicals industry association Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI) has decided to file a defamation suit seeking Rs 50 crore in damages from Greenpeace India for claiming that leading brands of tea sold in the country contain pesticides.
Responding to the report, state-run Tea Board of India said in a statement, “After reviewing the findings of the Greenpeace study, it is confirmed that all the samples tested comply with the Indian laws and regulations, designed to protect consumers. Indian teas are well regarded the world over and are totally safe following stringent standards.”
editor@greentechlead.com