Nederlands
This instalment of the Sustainable Achievers series features a truly trending story! It’s the story of Roeland Veen and Niels Schutter from TrendingTea, our sustainable tea suppliers. They launched their company in 2016 and have been working ever since on building a 100% fair tea supply chain. By removing all middlemen, they now import real tea leaves directly from farmer cooperatives in Sri Lanka. TrendingTea is both a certified Social Enterprise and Fairtrade company. Hutten chose to partner with them for their commitment to the environment and biodiversity, social return, and circularity. Roeland Veen says, “We want to encourage other countries to do business sustainably and ensure fair treatment for people who far too often receive unfair pay.”
No importers or wholesalers are involved in the process. Tea and herbs go directly from the plantation or farmer cooperative in Sri Lanka to a local packaging facility. From there, it’s shipped by sea to the Netherlands, where it goes straight to TrendingTea’s warehouse—making the entire process 100% traceable. Niels Schutter adds: “Not only do we trade directly, but our tea is also Fairtrade certified. We offer loose leaf teas and sustainable pyramid bags—no finely ground tea dust with artificial flavourings, but beautiful whole leaves made with pure, organic ingredients. Our blends are carefully crafted to provide a true flavour sensation.” Roeland Veen: “We pay the farmer cooperatives in Sri Lanka the highest possible Fairtrade premium—$1.10 per kilo. But we go beyond Fairtrade. Alongside our certification, we choose to work through Direct Trade. The tea farmers we partner with grow high-quality, sustainable tea and earn on average 30% to 50% more per kilo this way. We’re working towards a 100% fair tea supply chain with the ultimate goal of ensuring all our farmers earn a guaranteed living wage.”
Niels Schutter continues: “With our loose-leaf concept, guests enjoy delicious tea without unnecessary waste. The teas are presented in stylish display units and restocked using handy refill packs, saving 80% on packaging materials. The trendy bamboo displays are a true eye-catcher in any setting and are made in the Netherlands by participants of 50|50, part of The Salvation Army. This way, we also contribute to building a sustainable future for people in our own society.”
““We want people to enjoy real, pure tea and ingredients. No flavourings or finely ground powders.””
Seeing it first-hand
The fresh tea leaves are blended with herbs and spices to create unique combinations such as Green Tea Ginger Lemon and Black Tea Forest Fruit. Roeland Veen explains: “The ginger pieces come from a Fairtrade plantation, and other ingredients like lemongrass, cinnamon, and cardamom are also sourced locally in Sri Lanka. We visit these places ourselves and know the people. The consumer tea market lacks transparency, so many people don’t realise that standard tea products often contribute to the exploitation and underpayment of workers in origin countries. By processing and packaging the tea locally in Sri Lanka, we reduce travel distances and ensure good working conditions. Fairtrade also includes strict audits.”
“We are in direct contact with the farmer cooperatives and partners in Sri Lanka. Together with the Fairtrade committee, we invest in healthcare, children’s education, and sustainable farming practices. The cooperatives also organise special projects like free meals for workers. Additionally, we personally invest in the farming communities we work with. For example, we provide meals, school supplies, or other essential resources. Recently, we contributed to building a new IT centre at the school attended by children of the farmers who supply our tea. Construction is currently underway.”
Promoting biodiversity
Through its methods, TrendingTea also actively supports biodiversity. Roeland Veen explains: “Over 120 plant species grow on our partner plantations, including trees, shrubs, grasses, and aquatic plants. Only rainwater is used—a highly sustainable approach to farming. The water is stored in ponds, which helps stimulate biodiversity and provides a buffer against drought. By planting multiple crop types, we prevent soil depletion, following an agroforestry model. We also take various steps to reduce CO₂ emissions. Our packaging facility runs on solar and wind energy, and our deliveries throughout the Netherlands are CO₂ neutral. One of our near-term goals is to offer a completely CO₂-neutral product range.”
In the Sustainable Achievers series, Hutten visits and speaks with our suppliers about our shared commitment to sustainability. You can read more inspiring stories on our website.
