The tea industry is made up of several actors: Growers are made up of small, medium, and large estates. They are the product producers. Tea factories include bought leaf factories, blending factories, and estate factories. The many varietals of tea, are all derived from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. While some tea varieties fetch high consumer prices and can provide lucrative livelihood opportunities at origin, others unfortunately have been associated with low incomes and poor working conditions.

In some geographies, low wages and benefits, such as housing, fail to meet basic standards of decency for tea workers and their families. This has turned a spotlight not only on tea production, but also on trade and consumption.

The below countries have reports relevant to the tea industry.