Debt bondage in the shrimp and tea industry

[peter]

One of the topics of study I pursue outside of the tea world and my business studies is organized crime, money laundering, and human trafficking. In pursuing information about those topics, I ran a search today about for human trafficking tea industry. It turned up a recently produced video segment (only 2 weeks old) specifically about debt bondage and the ongoing issue of human trafficking in the world of tea.

The video begins by talking about the shrimp industry and segues in the second half to tea. Just near the end, the subject matter expert makes a rather damning statement. 

 Link: Debt bondage in the shrimp and tea industry 

Can’t seem to be able to embed from CNN

[riccaicedo]

Thanks for the link, @peter.

I hope that we all get access to the list of unethical tea plantations. It’s very sad that there’s still modern slavery in today’s world.

[Anonymous]

The CNN presenter is talking about a tea industry in Sri Lanka that I do not recognize in 30 years of working with it.  He is talking about bonded labor surviving from Colonial days in a country where labor laws are very strictly applied – personally knowing the country and the industry – I have not seen it happen, I have not heard about it happening, I cannot believe it happens.  He seems locked into what happened 150 years ago when the Tamils were brought over to Sri Lanka from India (for the coffee industry, not for tea) and endeavouring to find it still.  Yes, I have seen people sleeping on tea leaf, not because they have been (as he suggests) working for 24 hours – but for a siesta.  Many tea factories in Sri Lanka even have dormitories with bunk beds so that their labor can sleep over before early morning shift (Great Western Tea Factory for example). Sorry CNN you should be looking closer to home for trafficking.

Nigel at Teacraft

[Xavier]

So it is pure journalism not looking at good sources?

A relieved man.

[Robert Godden]

*I can’t get it to work. Thanks @teacraft for making me less worried about that.

[Jackie]

Just a quick reply – was reminded of this thread when I saw this article in The Economist:

Forced labour in India – Toil and trouble – Where slavery persists in all but name

[Author]

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