Nepali Growers Confront Obstacles to Organic Certification
A very good article about the obstacles for small tea farmers in Nepal and most likely the plight of small farmers in other tea countries. It shows some of the hurdles for farmers who are providing high-quality organic tea. Current trends of small farmers producing the final product versus having the medium size factories take the raw leaves and produce the final product, plus marketing, compliance, and everything else that comes along with it. The small farmers do not have the expertise nor the resources to bring their product to the right people and sell the tea at the price it deserves.
The article also mentions that there is a demand for organic tea, it seems more the lack of cash of the small farmers to get the certification. There are some groups and cooperatives that are trying to help with this situation. It makes sense to help these farmers because of the demand for this type of tea and the fact the farmers are already producing it. I enjoy these type of articles because it helps to understand the tea process better.
I have been subscribing to the World Tea news for about 10 – 15 years. This is where I stay current with tea issues.