The Rainforest Alliance has suspended the licenses of Multinational tea companies James Finlay and Ekaterra over sex abuse and gender-based violence claims.

Rainforest, on Thursday, May 11, said the withdrawal of the licenses of the Kericho and Bomet counties-based companies followed a close scrutiny that established the two companies did not conform to the social and management criteria.

“For both tea estates – Ekaterra and James Finlay a – audits confirmed the presence of non-conformities of the social and management criteria of the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standards.”

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“Based on these results, we have taken the decision to suspend the certification of both certificate holders in accordance with the Rainforest Alliance Certification and Auditing Rules V1.2,”  The Alliance stated.

The Rainforest Alliance launched its own investigation after BBC’s February documentary that exposed the sexual exploitation of female workers by managers, supervisors, and contractors in the two companies.

The report revealed more than 70 women in the two companies had been sexually abused. The Alliance added that the two companies were notified about the suspension on May 9.

It further clarified that the latest move does not affect the tea that had been shipped out before the suspension was communicated.

“Buyers of these volumes can continue to claim these volumes as Rainforest Alliance Certified based on transactions in the Rainforest Alliance traceability platform.’’

“However, volumes sold from 9^th May 2023 and until the suspension is lifted cannot be claimed as Rainforest Alliance Certified unless they were contracted for and shipped prior to 9^th May 2023,’’ added the statement in part.

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The alliance said it remained committed to working with stakeholders in the supply chain in developing a plan for addressing the challenge of gender-based violence in a systematic manner.

The suspension comes a few days after James Finlay Kenya inked a deal that will see 85 percent of the company stake sold to Sri Lanka’s Browns Investments PLC.

The sale will be completed in the coming months,  with the remaining 15 percent of the company stake expected to be sold to a locally owned co-operative whose name is yet to be revealed.