Kenya has directed its tea factories to suspend ties with the Rainforest Alliance, saying the cost of ethical certification is too high for struggling smallholder farmers.
The government says the financial burden of maintaining the green frog label has fallen on growers rather than being covered by international buyers, as it should be. Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Ronoh argued that the scheme’s costs outweigh its benefits and announced an immediate suspension after an industry summit.
Kenya, the world’s third-largest tea producer, supplies about half the tea consumed in the UK. Yet a recent Fairtrade poll showed most Kenyan tea workers still don’t earn enough to meet basic needs.
The Rainforest Alliance, while not setting certification fees itself, relies on external audits that cost smallholder-run factories around $3,000 a year. The organisation says it’s working with Kenyan officials to find a resolution and has assured producers that existing certificates remain valid.
The government is considering a more affordable local certification model, while the Ethical Tea Partnership expressed hope for a quick solution, calling certification vital for fair treatment across the supply chain.
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One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
An explosion and fire have been reported at a major underground gas pipeline in Russia’s Penza region on 13 October, according to UA News, as cited by Azerbaijan’s APA news agency. The reports have not been independently verified.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined high school students protesting outside a school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Tuesday, as a wave of student demonstrations continues across France.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a newly opened defence museum displaying weapons developed under his leadership, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are set to discuss measures to tackle transboundary haze during preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN summit in November, as forest and land fires in Indonesia continue to affect air quality across the region, the Philippines said on Tuesday.
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