1.1 Project Background:

CTCF working together with the ILO Nepal has successfully completed an 11 months project under Advocacy for Rights and Good Corporate Governance UNNATI- Inclusive Growth Programme in Nepal (NEP/15/01 M/DAN) in Nepal. The goal of the project was to promote and improved advocacy for responsible business, including rights and good corporate governance in orthodox tea among selected four value chain. Several activities have been carried out during the project period. They are:

• National Level Interaction on Tea Policy, Issues, Constraints and way Forward
• Organized two trainings to executive members and member of subcommittee of CTCF and DTCFs on Lobbying and Evidence-based Advocacy Entrepreneurial knowledge and capacity development
• Training on review of strategic and business plan to cooperative for sustainable development incorporating responsible business agendas
• Workshop on Occupational Safety and Health in Tea Sectors :
• Interaction program among Tea farmers, Tea cooperatives, Tea processors, Tea Entrepreneurs on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Multi National Enterprise & Social Policy (MNE declaration) and UN Global Compact Agenda. (2 Interaction Programs)
• Organize periodic meetings (quarterly , once in 3 month) and make Tea Task Force functional for responsible business practice in Tea sector

Through the project activities, Ministry of Agriculture Land Management and Cooperative has approved the directives (Rule and regulation) for Quality Tea from the Himalaya and also mentioned province No.1 as to develop tea zone area in their transforming way forward of 2075 on agriculture, livestock, land management and cooperative sector. This project made collective action to adopt these directives. It helps to make sustainable business in tea sector and make access to market. Government has unveiled subsidy for tea extension and 50% discount on the income tax for the tea industry by policy program budget on Fiscal Year 2075/2076. Likely on the behalf of farmers and cooperatives the project provided training to board members of CTCF Nepal and 4 District Federations (Ilam, Panchtar, Dhankuta, Therathum) for evidence based lobby and advocacy. They are able to collect problems and issues from grass root level to present effectively for lobby with the local level, district level stakeholders. Collective work with tea task force in a team for development of the tea is the major achievement of the project. For instance, collaboration on preparation of directives of Nepal tea Quality form the Himalaya, joint organization of 3^rd interational tea festival 2018 in Nepal and joint participation to the international tea festival for the promotion of Nepali tea.  The project successfully able to aware Tea cooperatives, farmers, processing factories, workers on OSH and responsible business UN Global Compact, CSR, MNE initiate to follow the principles. It was helpful to build the better relationship with factory owner, cooperatives, farmers and labours.

However there is still lacking some activities for the effective advocacy for rights and good corporate governance that can solve some bottlenecks in the orthodox tea sectors. Project was unable to fulfil gap in between central level and local level due to the new federal structure of Nepal Government. So province level interaction program is required to discuss regional level cooperative issues and problem for the sustainable tea business and decent work environment. The project was successful to aware tea farmer, employer and other stakeholders on Occupational Safety and Health. They got conceptual knowledge on OSH however they still need to provide technical knowhow on OSH. So training on emergency preparation and first aid can accelerate effective implementation and manage work related hazards in their workplace. Work place assessment and record keeping of hazard is also essential for the implementation of improved occupational safety and health at workplace. Tea task force consist all stakeholder who are working in tea sector of Nepal. It is an important plate form to discuss and to take collective action for the solution of tea issues. Hence continuity for tea task force meeting is important for sustainable development of tea sector.

1.2 Goal

Glorified economic condition of tea sector stakeholders through the additional OSH, UN Global compact principles CSR by the way of advocacy dialogue and institutional strengthening along with 5% increase income by capacity and organizational development

1.3 Overall Objective

1. Lobby and advocacy against the problem/constraints of tea farmers and cooperatives.
2. Capacity and organizational development of CTCF, DTCF and tea cooperatives.
3. Enable occupational safety and health (OSH) of tea farmer and tea workers

1.5 Targets Area

This extension project will cover 7 hilly district of Eastern development region of Nepal consisting Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung, Dhankuta, Tearthum, Bhojpur and Shankusava. CTCF Nepal is directly working with tea farmers through DTCFs and cooperatives in district and grass root level. CTCF Nepal has been conducting various programs on those districts. CTCF has good relation with local government DDC (District Development Committee) and DADO (District Agricultural Development office) and National Tea and Coffee Development Board (NTCDB). CTCF has been working on the common issues of tea sectors together with Himalayan Orthodox Tea Association (HOTPA) as association of large processors of orthodox tea, Nepal Tea Planter Association (NTPA) as an association of large processor of Cut Tear Curl (CTC) tea and Speciality Tea Association of Nepal (STAN).

1.6 Target Beneficiaries

There are 73 tea cooperatives including 14 processing cooperatives, 4 district tea cooperative federations in the target area which affiliates 4831 family holder including 1088 women and 3743 male. Tea worker from 20 small processing units and 5 large tea processors are the target people of the project. Major priorities of those targeted groups are organic farming, profitable tea farming, cooperative processing factory, sustainable and better working environment, better Industrial relationship and capacity development. Project activity helps to creates win-win situation among tea farmer, tea worker, tea processors. Project will create environment for collective lobby and advocacy for the overall tea development through the task force.

1.4 Major Activities

i) Conduct Province level interaction program in Biratnagar to advocate cooperative related tea policy issues and constraints

Province level interaction program to advocate cooperative related tea policy issues and constraints was conducted on 18 November 2018 at Ratna Hotel Biratnagar. 72 participants including 7 female from province parliament member, tea stakeholders and journalist were participated to the program. Province level economic and planning minister Hon. Indra Aangbo addressed to the program as the chief guest. The interaction program was supportive to make aware on cooperative related tea issues and their alternatives for solution. Province government is now positive to establish tea bank, province level tea board or to decentralize existing tea board in province level. The province is positive to declare province no 1 as tea zone are and allocate the budget for the development of tea and cooperative sector.

ii) Organize Training on emergency preparedness and first aid to SMEs and Cooperative factory members for improved occupational safety and health at workplace

Training on emergency preparedness and first aid training was conducted three phases dated 31 Oct- 2 Nov 2018, 3 Nov to 5 Nov 2018 at Sungabha Bikasha Sastha in Ilam and 11 Nov to 13 November 2018 in green view hotel Ilam. Altogether 67 participants including 15 female from different cooperatives and SMEs (UCF Grantees/non grantees) have participated to the training. The training program was based on both theoretical and practical session. Participants were oriented on Occupational Safety and Health, Emergency preparedness, Fire and its principle, fire control, first aid, workplace and stress management and provision of health and safety on Labour act. The participants were practically trained to operative fire extinguisher and first aid. The participants were able to increase their knowledge by 34.48 percent point. Pre and posttest evaluation techniques have been used to evaluate the participant's knowledge improvement. Participants

iii) Organize periodic meetings and make Tea Task Force functional for responsible business practice in Tea sector (2 meeting during the project duration).

Organize periodic meetings (quarterly, once in 3 month) and make Tea Task Force functional for responsible business practice in Tea sector. First meeting was conduct at Lalitpur on 1 Aug, 2018 and second meeting was conduct 17, Nov. 2018 at Biratnagar.

Tea Task force is a very good platform to come up together to discuss tea related issues by tea related major stakeholders where the representative from government, labours, cooperatives, industries, farmers representatives. Tea task force team jointly presented a paper presentation to the province level government to address the immediate problem of labour and entrepreneur. Tea task force team has decided some decision on common agenda for lobbing to province level government. For example to declare the Province on. 1 as a tea zone area and provided subsidy and grant for tea development, make favorable tea related policy etc and did lobby with concern ministries and presented current tea problems. Tea task force have raised the issues such as participation of worker, tea farmer, tea expert in tea board and decision making position, establishment of tea auction market, long term strategy planning for the development of the tea sectors, proper implementation of Labour act and to establish task force to study and make report of province level problem and their alternatives for solution