How to make our beloved ‘cuppa’ more enjoyable despite the challenges it faces

Here’s what we tea lovers can do to help drive positive change and make tea more sustainable, writes Christopher Whitebread

Some companies have initiated change on their own (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In the UK, tea is anchored in our national psyche – whatever the circumstance, a cup of tea makes everything better. Not only do 84 per cent of us consume at least one “cuppa” a day, but nearly half of all Britons felt the tradition of tea breaks helped them get through the pandemic.

International Tea Day today marks the perfect occasion to reflect on the challenges in tea production, and consider what we can do to alleviate them.

Kenya produces almost half the tea consumed in the UK, followed by India and Malawi. While at one time, large estates dominated tea production, now most of our tea comes from small farming families who work on land plots less than the size of a football pitch.

Both small-scale farmers and tea-estate workers earn a small fraction of the price that tea sells for on the shop shelf. Tea prices have been stagnant for many years, while the cost of producing tea, including machinery and fertiliser, has gone up substantially.

Many tea plantation workers are paid poverty-level wages and face a daily struggle to meet basic needs like decent housing, healthcare, and sanitation. In north-east India, it’s not uncommon for workers to pick between 25 to 35 kg of leaves a day for them to make around 230 to 310 Rupees, which is a daily wage of about £2.42 to £3.25.

Climate change is making tea production even harder. An extreme weather event or pest infestation can wipe out an entire farm. Such challenges will continue to mount.

But the news is not all bad.

Companies have already started putting more ethical practices at the centre of their business models, and soon they will have even more motivation: Several national governments, as well as the EU, are passing legislation that requires companies to perform human rights and environmental due diligence. Discussions in the UK are heading in that direction as well.

Some companies have initiated change on their own. Take, for example, the Jalinga Tea Estate, based in Assam, India. Third-generation owner Ketan Patal led the estate to turn organic and carbon neutral, employing initiatives to protect forests, phase out coal use in processing, and eliminate pesticides.

Its partnerships with buyers, international tea brands, and non-profits like the Rainforest Alliance have paved the way for projects to improve education, health care access, and water and sanitation facilities for the more than 1,500 employees who work on the estate. Meanwhile, the quality of Jalinga’s tea has improved, which allows them to command higher prices.

So, what can we tea lovers do to help drive positive change?

Firstly, take the time to learn what’s behind your brew. Ask your favourite tea brand or go-to retailer what they are doing to give the tea farmers and workers in their supply chain a decent living, and to protect the land where tea is grown. Where do they source their tea from? Do they pay their suppliers decent prices?

Secondly, you can also choose to purchase certified tea, thereby helping drive demand for a more sustainable tea. Certification programs like the Rainforest Alliance’s, known for its little green frog seal, set standards for improving the livelihoods of tea farmers and workers while protecting the land. (Certification can also help tea brands, which often have convoluted supply chains, trace their tea back to the source.)

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Third, it’s particularly important to choose certified for heavily discounted tea. Many retailers keep pushing prices lower as a competitive tool. Competition may be easy on our wallets, but it can contribute to crushingly low incomes for farming families and tea workers.

Lastly, when you find tea brands that support good practices, especially those that go above and beyond certification, ask your local café or market to stock them. Social media has made it easier than ever to communicate with companies. Cheer on companies doing the right thing – it will encourage others to follow suit.

It’s been said that where there’s tea, there’s hope. Taking actions like these will help offer hope not just to those of us who love consuming tea, but to those who are producing it—and it will make our daily cuppas all the more enjoyable.

Christopher Whitebread, tea-sector lead at the Rainforest Alliance, has more than thirty years of experience working to create a more sustainable tea sector