We were founded by someone who wanted to improve the tea industry, and our unique approach to sourcing is still the best way we know of doing that.
Sustainability has always been embedded in our mission, it’s the guiding principle to finding the very best tasting teas. Teas grown without chemical intervention taste better. Exceptional farmers are committed to respecting the environment and their communities, and they produce the best tasting teas. That’s why we’ve always worked closely with like-minded producers, getting to know them, paying fairly and always championing quality.
The Situation
The majority of tea consumed around the world is purchased from tea auctions. If not managed properly, tea supply chains can become complex and less transparent, which can potentially lead to negative environmental and social impacts.
We don’t just believe that single origin and single garden teas taste better. We go direct to source to get them. Cutting out the middlemen in this way encourages transparency by increasing traceability. It also helps us to build strong relationships with producers, so we can better support them and their communities.
We back this up with stringent responsible procurement processes, applicable to all our suppliers, from tea farmers, packaging producers, warehousing and logistics providers to contracted services. As well as agreeing to our Supplier Code of Conduct as part of our Terms of Purchase, suppliers are required to complete regular questionnaires and audits.
Our Mission
JING™ was founded based on one mission, which remains as important today as it was at the beginning of our journey:
To deliver unforgettable tea drinking experiences whilst supporting and enabling tea producers and their environments to thrive
Better Tea for People & Planet
Our Mission
JING™ was founded based on one mission, which remains as important today as it was at the beginning of our journey:
To deliver unforgettable tea drinking experiences whilst supporting and enabling tea producers and their environments to thrive
Our Approach
We believe we can achieve both by selecting distinctive single garden teas and building long-lasting, personal relationships with the tea masters who produce them
We do this by ensuring that our teas are sourced with integrity and transparency, both when it comes to the people we source from and our impact on the planet.
We are a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership and commit to adhering to their Membership Golden Rules.
SINGLE GARDEN, SINGLE ORIGIN
We prioritise single garden teas not only because they deliver the most pure and distinctive flavour experiences, but also because they deliver complete transparency.
You'll find the garden name celebrated on every pack of our tea.
CHAMPIONING LOOSE LEAF
Loose leaf tea not only delivers the best drinking experience but uses less processing, packaging and reduces waste.
That’s why 100% of our teas are available as loose leaf and we give customers the tips and tools to enable the easy switch.
FAIR PRICE
We’re lucky to source teas from outstanding producers, crafting the highest quality teas and we pay the high prices they command.
As consumers enjoy and appreciate the benefits of quality single origin tea, the industry will change for the better, with greater returns and a better future for tea producers and their communities.
PRIORITISING ORGANIC
Tea grown without synthetic pesticides or herbicides minimise the exposure of land, wildlife, producers and tea drinkers to agrochemicals.
Our aim is for 80% of our teas to be made this way by the end of 2024.
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Not only do our personal relationships give us direct access to the best crop of each season, but by cutting out multiple middle men more money is going directly to producers and their communities.
It also allows us to troubleshoot with producers as environmental issues arise.
CARBON ACTION PLAN
Our teas are certified carbon neutral, and we are committed to Gold Standard projects relevant to the places and communities where we source our teas from.
We’ve calculated exactly where the greenhouse gases are produced throughout our tea supply chain, and have begun targeted actions to reduce and offset reduce these emissions. Up to 95% of the carbon footprint of our teas happens in production so we are working with producers to find and prioritise a switch to sustainable solutions.
SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES
We're a funding partner of the Ethical Tea Partnership's Plantation Community Empowerment Project in Assam, India.
Community forums, made up of 50% women and 30% youth are created to work in collaboration with estate management teams to address challenges facing the community
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING PROMISE
We’re investing in biodegradable packaging options and take a full lifecycle approach to our packaging, with new alternative materials in trial.
Where we can, we’re already using plant based and biodegradable materials, including our whole leaf tea bag ranges.
The Situation
Low-grade commodity tea dominates markets around the world. It tends to be bought at tea auctions under a system that generates complex supply chains, low prices and a lack of transparency. Without transparency, there are few checks on the damaging environmental and social impacts of trading in this way.
Our Proposition
We back this up with stringent responsible procurement processes, applicable to all our suppliers, from tea farmers, packaging producers, warehousing and logistics providers to contracted services. As well as agreeing to our Supplier Code of Conduct as part of our Terms of Purchase, suppliers are required to complete regular questionnaires and audits.
Find out more here
Direct Sourcing
Championing a better model of tea: a highly transparent supply chain.
We will continue to pioneer a sustainable future for tea by driving consumer demand for quality by directly sourcing single garden, fully traceable tea.
2024 Goals & Commitments
We’re committed to:
Traceability & Single Garden/Origin
1) 100% traceability for our whole range by 2025.
2) Maintain range so single garden- single origin teas make up >95%.
3) Setting a target around direct sourcing for our range during 2024
Consumer Awareness
1) 100% of single garden teas will have the garden name printed on pack and on the website by 2024.
Responsible Procurement
1) 100% of supply chain signed up to new Responsible Sourcing Code Of Conduct by 2025.
2) 100% of tier 1 tea, herb packaging and teaware suppliers passing our new (more rigorous) SAQ assessment by 2028.
Read here about why we’re committed to single garden tea.
Prioritising Organic: Goals And Commitments: Why Origin Matters Most
Our better model of tea doesn’t just deliver a transparent supply chain, it ensures more money goes directly to the producers. The strong personal relationships enable us to work in collaboration with producers & their communities.
Fair Price
We buy high quality tea, pay what it is worth and support a living wage.
We source the highest quality teas from the best producers we know and pay the high prices their quality commands. By cutting out the middlemen, our model enables more of the money to go directly go directly to tea makers and their communities.
We are a Living Wage certified employer for our own UK operations. We are working with the ETP and wider industry to establish a living wage throughout the tea supply chain.
2024 Goals & Commitments
We’re committed to:
1) Ensuring that all direct producers and their workers in our tea & herbal supply chain earn at least a living wage or income.
*The target relates to our organisation playing its party by doing/paying additional to cover our part of the living wage/income gap based on the volume we purchase from the producer
Our Producers & Communities
Working with our tea makers and their communities.
We're committed to building strong relationships with our producers, and engaging with them and their communities on tackling societal and environmental issues that are important to both them and us.
2024 Goals & Commitments
We’re committed to:
Our Producers
1) Defining supplier engagement programme and associated goals by 2025.
Supporting Communities
1) Support 2 community projects in our key sourcing regions by 2025.
Progress
For progress on our goals and commitments see the JING Sustainability Report and JING Sustainability score card.
Case studies and further information
