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The National Reference Groups (NRGs) are an informal assembly of key national tea industry stakeholders committed to working together for enhancing the accountability and credibility of different national and international CSR standards applicable in the tea sector at the production end. The NRGs offers its participants the opportunity to collectively better understand and articulate the CSR standards and act as a national contact point to the standard setting bodies with regard to guidance, interpretation, monitoring and support in implementation of certification programmes.
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Objectivesk Act as one point multi-stakeholder national
reference group for all the national and
international standard setting bodies and
certification bodies working on tea sector
k Develop coordinated and collective
approach of different tea industry
stakeholders around complex, multifaceted
and in some cases, divisive issues around
CSR standards and its implementation.
k Develop and implement national guidelines
on sustainable tea
k Promote the linkages between farmers and
buyers including processors, traders in
production and marketing sustainable
products.
k Provide guidance to standard setting bodies
and certification Bodies on critical sector
spcific issue pertaining to certification.
k To disseminate good practices accross a
large group of stakeholders and assist in
creating an enabling environment for
scaling up sustainability initiatives
Why NRGs?k There is no consensus amongst all the
stakeholders on CSR standards and its
implementation. A local multi-stakeholder
platform provides opportunity for developing
coordinated and coherent position of the
tea industry stakeholders.
k Situations and stakeholders’ priorities in
different countries can vary strongly.
National Reference Group platform helps
align global standard-setting with local
reality.
k National Reference Group provides
opportunity to the tea industry stakeholders
at the origin to participate in the CSR
standard development and implementation
process in their own country in a consistent
manner wich is necessary for creating an
enabling environment.
k The National Reference Groups acts as a
national platform for sharing and
disseminating CSR experience necessary
for scaling up and large scale changes in
the tea sector
The NRGs are an informal assembly of key national tea industry stakeholders committed to working together for enhancing the accountability and credibility of different national and international CSR standards applicable in the tea sector at the production end. The NRGs offers its participants the opportunity to collectively better understand and articulate the CSR standards and act as a national contact point to the standard setting bodies with regard to guidance, interpretation, monitoring and support in implementation of certification programmes.
Basic StructureThe NRGs are representative in nature with
representation from key national tea industry
stakeholders including NGOs.
Solidaridad acts as a facilitator along with its
local partner organisations
The NRGs may be called in different names in
different countries and may develop country
specific priorities along side its basic objectives
Forum Sertifikasi Teh IndonesiaThe Indonesian NRG was formed in 2008 and
is known by the name of Forum Sertifikasi
Teh Indonesia. It's hosted by Tea Board of
Indonesia and the key members are from
PTPN, APTEHINDO, Le Elink Schuurman,
trade unions, tea companies, Tea and
Cinchona Research Institute, certification
bodies and NGOs. The NRG played a key role
in providing inputs for the development of UTZ
Certified tea standard.
Contact: Mr. Harry Hendrarto Email: [email protected] website: http://sustainabletea.org
General Contacts
Shatadru ChattopadhayaySolidaridad-South & South East AsiaA-5, Shankar Garden | Main Najafgarh
Road, Vikas Puri | New Delhi 110018, India T+ 91-11-2551 51 22/23
Ms. Geertje OttenSolidaridad-Europe't Goylaan 153525 AA UtrechtThe NetherlandsT: +31 (0)30 272 0313
www.solidaridadnetwork.org
NRG of Sri LankaThe National Reference Group was formed in
October 2008 in Sri Lanka as an informal
group of tea stakeholder. The NRG gets
guidance and close supervision of the Sri
Lankan Tea Board as well as Ceylon Planters
Association on issues pertaining to
sustainability in the national tea industry. It also
have participation from TSHDA (smallholders
association), trade unions, scientific institutions,
academics and NGOs.
The tea sector specialist NGO- ISD, Kandy
providing interim secretarial assistance to the
National Reference Group. The NRG meets
have seen close cooperation between
Solidaridad, UTZ Certified and ETP. The plan
is to further broadbase the NRG and get more
members.
Contact:Mr. Saji MathewEmail: [email protected]
NRG of IndiaThe National Reference Group of India was
formed in May 2008 as an informal group of
stakeholders focussed primarily around UTZ
Certified tea code. It got support from DBITA,
Tea Board, National Federaton of Small Tea
Growers Association, Certification Bodies, four
trade unions and major NGOs. It has met
around 5 times since then and have played a
key role in the development of UTZ Certified
tea standard. Subsequently, the NRG has not
been very active.
Several meetings have been organised with Indian Tea Association, Indian Tea Board and brands like Hindustan-Unilever. In these meetings it was suggested that the NRG of India needs to be re-constituted because the realities of 2008 and 2010-11 are different. It has been suggested that NRG in India needs support and participation of all the major standards. Several discussions have taken place with UTZ Certified, ETP and RA on this issue. A workshop in close coordination with Indian Tea Association is planned in 2011 to reconstitute the NRG.
Contact:Mr. Saji MathewEmail: [email protected]
The NRG provides a platform for trade unions to participate in discussions on CSR issues with various other stakeholders. We are happy to be part of the Indian NRG.
Samir Roy, National Secretary, HMS Union
National Coordination ForumThe Vietnam NRG was set up by the name of
National Coordination Forum in March, 2010
by the Department of Crop Production (DCP) -
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
and Vietnam Tea Association with support amd
coodination from Solidaridad. The key players
include UTZ Certified, Rain Forest Alliance,
VECO, SNV,Phu Ben Tea Ltd, Center for
Breed and agriculture goods Control amongst
others.
Contact:Mrs. Le Hong VanEmail: [email protected]
National Working GroupThe process of formation of China NRG or
National working group started with a workshop
jointly organised by Solidaridad and China Tea
Marketing Association in January 2010 and
was formed in October 2010. The main
purpose of the NWG is to effectively implement
the national policy of “Harmonious Society,”
The core members of such national working
group consist of multi-stakeholders of China’s
vast tea value chain: producers, traders,
retailers, researchers, government
representatives, and NGOs specializing in
ecological conservation, social improvement
and consumer interests. All the major
standards like UTZ Certified, ETP, Fair Trade
and Rainforest Alliance actively supports and
participates in this process in China.
Contact:Mr. Ying (Martin) MaEmail: [email protected]
