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.
Why NRGs? k
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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. Situations and stakeholders’ priorities in different countries can vary strongly. National Reference Group platform helps align global standard-setting with local reality. 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. 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
Basic Structure The 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
Objectives k
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
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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.
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Develop and implement national guidelines on sustainable tea
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Promote the linkages between farmers and buyers including processors, traders in production and marketing sustainable products.
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Provide guidance to standard setting bodies and certification Bodies on critical sector spcific issue pertaining to certification.
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To disseminate good practices accross a large group of stakeholders and assist in creating an enabling environment for scaling up sustainability initiatives
Forum Sertifikasi Teh Indonesia
The 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: harry@watchbusiness.org NRG website: http://sustainabletea.org
General Contacts Shatadru Chattopadhayay Solidaridad-South & South East Asia A-5, Shankar Garden | Main Najafgarh Road, Vikas Puri | New Delhi 110018, India T+ 91-11-2551 51 22/23 Ms. Geertje Otten Solidaridad-Europe 't Goylaan 15 3525 AA Utrecht The Netherlands T: +31 (0)30 272 0313 www.solidaridadnetwork.org
NRG of India
NRG of Sri Lanka
The 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
The 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.
been very active.
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.
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.
National Working Group
Samir Roy, National Secretary, HMS Union
The 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 Van Email: Van.LeHong@solidaridad.nl
Contact: Mr. Saji Mathew Email: saji@solidaridad.in
Contact: Mr. Saji Mathew Email: saji@solidaridad.in
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.
National Coordination Forum
The 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) Ma Email: martin@solidaridad.nl