Sustainability and STP
Sustainability and STP: practices we run for customers who ask for them
Indileaf runs STP-aligned practices with its contracted farmers, and implements them for customers who require it. This page sets out what those practices are, what they cover and what you can ask us for.
What we do and for whom
A programme for customers with sustainability requirements
Some customers need their tobacco supply to meet sustainability requirements. For them, we work with a contracted group of farmers, supported by our field technicians, on practices aligned with the tobacco industry’s Sustainable Tobacco Programme (STP).
The programme covers the contracted farmer group, while purchase and lot records are kept for all supply.
STP is the industry’s programme, not an Indileaf scheme. We do not claim STP certification, and we do not claim formal enrolment in it or an STP assessment. We say what we do, and where it applies.
Four practices
What the programme consists of
Four practices, each described as far as it extends and no further.
1. A contracted farmer group, with field support
We work with a group of farmers under contract, and our field technicians support them through the crop year. This is a defined group within our wider sourcing base, not the whole network.
You can ask: which of our lots come from the contracted group.
2. Farmer training and free protective equipment
Farmers in the contracted group are trained, and every farmer in the group is provided with protective equipment (PPE) free of charge.
You can ask: which training topics are currently covered, and what protective equipment is provided.
3. Farm-to-lot traceability records
For the contracted group, we keep records that link a lot back to the farms it came from. These farm-to-lot records cover the contracted group only. Purchase and lot records are kept separately for all supply.
You can ask: what the farm-to-lot records for a programme lot show.
4. An independent human-rights assessment
An independent human-rights assessment was completed in 2026, and an improvement plan is being worked through.
You can ask: what we are able to share about the assessment and the plan, for your requirements.
How it works
How the programme runs through the crop year
The practices work together. Each one applies to the contracted farmer group.
- Field supportour technicians work with the contracted farmers through the season
- Training and equipmentfarmers are trained and given free protective equipment
- Records by lotfarm-to-lot records are kept for the contracted group
- Assessment and planthe 2026 independent assessment, and the improvement plan under way
Timing varies with each region’s crop year. See the crop calendar.
What we hold to
Our labour commitment
Indileaf holds itself to labour standards aligned with the conventions of the International Labour Organization, including those on minimum age and the worst forms of child labour. We do not accept child labour or forced labour in our supply chain, and our suppliers are expected to meet the same standard.
Our reference points
Applicable Indian law and the core ILO conventions, for us and for the suppliers we deal with.
Fair treatment
Fair treatment of workers and farming families, safe working conditions, and freedom to raise a concern without fear of reprisal.
Looking for risk
Agricultural supply chains carry labour risk in every country. We look for it, keep records and act on what they show.
If you have a concern
Send any question or concern about our sourcing to contact@indileaf.co and we will reply.
No agricultural supply chain can be guaranteed free of risk, and we promise nothing we cannot evidence. We claim no certification of our sourcing.
What customers can request
Three things you can ask us for
- A description of the programme. What it covers, who it applies to, and how it runs.
- Programme-lot identification. Which lots come from the contracted farmer group.
- A conversation about your requirements. Tell us what your organisation needs to see, and we reply with what we can support and what we cannot.
Purchase and lot records, together with packing and shipping documents, are kept for all supply. How much detail exists depends on the product, the source and the contract, and we agree what we can provide before an order. For documentation support, see export documents.
Tobacco is not currently one of the commodities regulated under the EU deforestation regulation.
Sourcing base and regions
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
Gujarat grows bidi tobacco, Lal and Kala Chopadia, Gadaku and rustica, and we offer leaf and scrap from it. In Gujarat, scrap is a product in its own right: Nicotiana tabacum sun-cured on open ground, not a by-product. Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka supply flue-cured Virginia.
Our wider sourcing network numbers 1,500+ farmers across these regions. It is a sourcing base, and the programme described on this page covers our contracted farmer group, not the whole network. Figures move with the season.
| Region | What it supplies |
|---|---|
| Gujarat | Leaf and scrap (scrap is itself the product) |
| Andhra Pradesh | Flue-cured Virginia (FCV) |
| Karnataka | Flue-cured Virginia (FCV) |
See also the sourcing map. This page describes Indileaf Ventures LLP’s own practices. Indileaf supplies unmanufactured tobacco to business buyers only.
Buyer questions
What buyers ask about the programme
Is Indileaf STP certified?
We make no claim of STP certification, formal enrolment in STP or an STP assessment. What we do is run STP-aligned practices with our contracted farmers, and implement them for customers who require it. STP is the tobacco industry’s Sustainable Tobacco Programme.
Does the programme cover all of your supply?
No. It covers our contracted farmer group. Our wider sourcing network of 1,500+ farmers is a sourcing base, and we do not describe it as covered by the programme. Purchase and lot records are kept for all supply.
Can I visit the contracted group?
Yes. Customers can visit the contracted group: ask us and we will arrange it. Records, and what can be shared, are discussed on request.
What records exist?
Purchase and lot records for all supply, plus packing and shipping documents. For the contracted farmer group there are also farm-to-lot traceability records. The detail depends on the product, source and contract, and we agree it before an order.
Tell us what your organisation requires
Send your sustainability requirements. We reply with what the programme can support and what it cannot, and we send a sample where that helps.
