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PRODUCTS
Tea Team produces results
Clones of drought and frost resistant teas are also being grown
Credit: © Shutterstock
Tea is the world’s favourite
beverage, after water, and it
provides a livelihood for millions
of people around the
globe. These projects show
that the industry is committed to helping
smallholder farmers and workers
earn a decent wage and farm better,
and that it understands that this is fundamental
to building secure supply
chains and future success,” so says
Sarah Roberts who leads the Ethical Tea
Partnership or ETP.
The projects she is talking about
involve a much more sustainable
approach than the well-known tea
plantations. The ideas were delivered this
week in London at “Team Up,” the annual
major conference of the tea industry.
Already Farmer Field Schools in
Kenya have increased yields by 33%
in over 48,000 small farms. They now
continue their techniques in Asia and
elsewhere in Africa.
The ETP works with The Sustainable
Trade Initiative (IDT) in India and
Vietnam as well as Malawi, Uganda,
Rwanda and Tanzania. Many major tea
brands are involved and prestigious
conservation movements such as the
Rainforest Alliance.
Securing supply chains and building
a “brand” for the teas produced is critical
in the projects. Apparently 8 million
small farmers should be brought into
the safer environment provided as they
produce 70% of the “world’s favourite
beverage”.
It is their livelihoods and production
techniques that are causing concern,
with Rainforest Alliance Certification a
late addition to the achievements gained
by the successful tea growers. Costs are
low over the 12-month programme that
illustrates different possible farming
techniques.
However, 25% of the course can
include optional kitchen garden or
livestock handling diversifications. Its’
likely that one farmer can also train his
The Cameron
Highlands
of Malaysia
has been a
well-known
tea-growing
area for many
generations.
Now the sun is
rising on a fair
deal for crops,
especially
from the
smallholdings
seen in many
growing areas.
or her neighbours in the novel parts of
the programme. Good news spreads
fast!
Basically the whole programme has:
+ Improved production and yield
+ Increased gross margins
+ Improved farm management
+ Achieved greater diversification of
income
+ Achieved better living standards
+ Improved health and safety
Other programmes now aim to help
100,000 Kenyan farmers secure their
farms against climate change there and
be aware of affordable finance for their
improvements. This involves tree planting
(for shade and nitrogen enrichment
of soils), rainwater harvesting, and
drip-irrigation.
Clones of drought and frost resistant
teas are also being grown, to emphasise
a more scientific approach to problems
in these environments.
Malawi and Uganda will also soon be
involved.
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november-december, green+.2014