LUSOTEC renews UTZ certificate for the second year

In December 2016, 29 farmers from LUSOTEC successfully passed the external audit required for the renewal of their UTZ certificate. Compliance with this international standard guarantees the sustainable production of their tea and creates new opportunities for the farmers

The UTZ certificate is a globally recognized standard, ensuring that farmers farm more effectively, protect their environment, and ensure good working conditions for their workers.

In December 2016, a group of farmers from LUSOTEC underwent the UTZ audit for the second year in a row with the hope to see this precious label renewed. UTZ’s positive feedback means that sustainable production and natural resource management practices have been well adopted by the farmers. In order to renew their certification, the farmers had to meet a wide range of criteria, amongst which:

• Regular tea quality control such as leaf counts, conducted when leaves are delivered to the processing unit;
• Implementation of measures to prevent contamination of tea during storage and processing;
• Exclusive usage of clean water during processing;
• Treatment of the factory’s wastewater to prevent contamination of natural ecosystems;
• Steaming and panning of green leaves under optimum load, temperature, and time combination to ensure quality and sustainability.

Thanks to LUSOTEC’s certification, 29 members can continue to sell their tea under the UTZ label. The Good Agricultural Practices adopted by LUSOTEC’s tea farmers positively impact the environment. These practices include for example environmental protection techniques such as the establishment of no-hunting and non-spraying zones to protect water bodies, a complete halt to the use of herbicides, and a significant reduction in the use of other chemicals. These practices brought a positive impact on the environment as indicated by an increase in the amount of birds around production areas and the absence of toxic waste near the farms. Despite not applying for UTZ certification, another 136 LUSOTEC farmers have continued to practice integrated pest management which is further reducing their environmental impact.

The farmers who obtained UTZ certification indicated two main motivations to apply and follow UTZ’s ecological approach: first, there are increasingly more market opportunities for safe dried green tea, both domestically and internationally, which can generate an attractive price premium for farmer. And second, they are genuinely interested in protecting their environment.

This renewed certification is an important step for the cooperative which will now focus on expanding its production of dried green tea and widening its pool of buyers.

Contact: Mr Hoang Thanh Hai, Project Manager, hai [at] veco.org.vn