We've talked a lot about 'our work in Rwanda' over the last few months. Here's a little more information to explain what we mean by that.

Anthony from the Rwandan Tea Authority is pleased to see Season's Pick Rwandan on sale

However, while the last decade has seen improved infrastructure and new economic opportunities for Rwanda, the disruption of the civil war in 1994 is still evident. For example, there are now only a few factories processing consistently top quality tea, which threatens the competitiveness of Rwanda’s tea industry and the livelihoods of many farmers.

That’s why we’ve matched a grant from the Department for International Development (DfID) to fund a project supporting 10,000 small-scale Rwandan tea farmers - it's part of a wider UK government initiative called the Food Retail Industry Challenge fund (FRICH).

Our aim is to raise the quality of the tea being produced in Rwanda, through training in cultivation and processing, and to improve social and environmental practices, by partnering with the Rainforest Alliance. We’re even investigating the potential for farmers to raise extra income by protecting (or 'sequestering') carbon.

Our tea buyers know that at its best Rwandan tea is hard to beat. To see for yourself, try our Season's Pick Rwandan tea, which is currently available in selected supermarkets.

By creating a premium market for high quality, sustainably-grown tea and committing to purchase a significant volume from farmers in Rwanda, we’ll be supporting local tea communities, providing good living and working conditions for farmers and their workers.