Case Study

Unilever tea (A): Revitalizing Lipton’s supply chain

14 pages
September 2011
Reference: IMD-6-0327

The case documents Unilever’s journey to revitalize Lipton brand through sourcing all its tea from Rainforest Alliance Certified (TM) farms. It provides a framework for discussions around the challenges of aligning supply chains behind the re-positioning of a high-value brand as sustainable. It also explores the business case for sustainable sourcing of agricultural raw materials and raises questions on the potential to improve the economic health of the entire supply chain.

Learning Objective

Understand the business case for major brands to convert to sustainable sourcing. Understand the challenges of aligning suppliers behind a major market transformation effort. Illustrate the dilemmas of adapting to a changing business context while staying on course with long-term objectives. Change the traditional perception of business responsibility in pushing forward the agenda for action on sustainable agriculture and other “mega-issues.”

Keywords
Sustainable Agriculture, Tea, Brand Development, Sustainability Certification, Production Management, Operations Management
Settings
World/global
Unilever
2005-2015
Type
Field Research
Copyright
© 2011
Available Languages
English
Related material
Teaching note, Video
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