ekaterra
OVERALL |
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Owned |
UK |
Rating |
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Tea company
ekaterra is the world's largest tea business, comprising 34 tea brands and 90 facilities around the world. Part of Unilever until 2022, when CVC Capital Partners acquired the business for 4.5 billion euros. Distributed in Australia by Stuart Alexander.
Company Ownership
ekaterra | NLD | website | ||||
CVC Capital Partners Ltd ![]() owns 100% of ekaterra |
UK | website | ||||
Private equity firm Founded in 1981 and today manages US$71 billion in funds throughout Europe, Asia and the US. |
Company Assessment
PRAISE | CRITICISM | INFORMATION | ||
ekaterra | ||||
A 2019 investigation by Oxfam found workers on tea plantations in the Assam region of India are systematically denied their rights to a living wage and decent working and living conditions. Tea workers also struggle to get timely and good quality healthcare, access clean drinking water, and provide their children with a decent education. Women bear the heaviest burden of systemic inequality, as they are concentrated in the lowest paid plucking roles and also shoulder most of the unpaid domestic care work. This company sources tea from Assam.
Source: Oxfam (2019) |
This company sells Rainforest Alliance certified tea. However this only represents a fraction of this company's total tea sales. Rainforest Alliance certification has been dubbed 'Fairtrade light' by critics, as it offers producers no minimum price for their crop, and guarantees a minimum of just 30% of the product is certified.
Source: Rainforest Alliance (2021)
The Ethical Tea Partnership was formed in 1997 when a number of major tea companies committed to working together to improve the social and environmental conditions in their supply chains.
Source: Ethical Tea Partnership (2021) |
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CVC Capital Partners Ltd | ||||
This company has investments in two gaming companies, Tipico and Gaming1.
Source: company website (2022) |
In June 2011, the company established the CVC Foundation to take its philanthropy programme to the next level.
Source: company website (2022)
UNPRI is a set of six principles direct institutional investors may adopt to consider environmental, social and corporate governance issues when investing. UNPRI is a voluntary agreement.
Source: UNPRI (2020) |
Company Details
Type | Wholly-owned subsidiary |
Founded | 2021 |
Revenue | 2 billion EUR (2020) |
Employees | 3,500 (2020) |
Subsidiaries | Tea Too Pty Ltd ![]() Tea Founded in Melbourne in 1996 by Maryanne Shearer and Jan O'Connor. Acquired by Unilever in 2013, who sold its tea business to CVC in 2022, including T2. Pukka Herbs Ltd ![]() Herbal teas Founded in 2001 by Tim Westwell and Sebastian Pole. Acquired by Unilever in 2017, who sold its tea business to CVC in 2022, including Pukka Herbs. |
Contact Details
Address | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
Website | ekaterratea.com |
Products / Brands
ekaterra
Bushells Tea Lan Choo Tea Lipton ![]() PG Tips ![]() |
T2 Tea
T2 ![]() |
Pukka Herbs
Pukka ![]() |