tea is guaranteed to be sourced from sustainable and eco-friendly plantations that prioritize the wellbeing of elephants and their habitats and water resources. Through the partnership between Wildlife Friendly and University of Montana’s Broader Impacts Group, this certification specifically targets the intersection between tea production and elephants’ habitats.

Asian elephants serve a crucial ecological role by feeding on a variety of plants and dispersing their seeds throughout the forest. Thus, their increasing global endangerment has directly harmed ecosystems and biodiversity. Since this species uses tea plantations as rest stops between foraging areas, plantation workers engage in human-elephant conflict, often leading to elephant mortality. Also, pesticides and herbicides on plantations may poison elephants’ drinking water with toxic chemicals. Thus, Elephant Friendly practices are encouraged to protect both farmers and communities, as well as elephant species. The Certification guarantees that tea is sourced from plantations that are taking steps towards protecting elephants and people.

LEARN MORE: Wildlife Friendly Certifications

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