After a long break due to the pandemic, it was important to personally inspect tea production in the major tea-growing regions of India again. Dr. Larsen Schütte, Head of Quality Assurance, and our Tea Purchasing Manager Karsten Wiese travelled to South India and Assam to strengthen long-standing local partnerships and learn first-hand about the challenges faced by tea farmers.
India, as one of the world's largest tea producers, offers us both organic and conventional black tea. The strong, malty flavors of Assam tea form the basis for traditional blends such as English Breakfast, East Frisian blends and Chai, while the floral teas from the Nilgiri Mountains of South India are ideal for flavored blends. These trips help us to ensure the high quality of our products and promote sustainable sourcing.
Challenges in pest control
On site, we quickly realized that the strict EU regulations regarding pesticide residues pose a major challenge for producers. EU Regulation No. 396/2005 sets strict limits that make it difficult for Indian tea producers to find economically viable solutions. Infestation by pests such as the tea mosquito(Helopeltis theivora), "red spider" and moth caterpillars, known as "loopers" are clearly visible. The damage caused by the tea mosquito alone leads to crop losses of between 25-40 percent. There are promising biological approaches to controlling this pest. Research is investigating the use of natural enemies, microbial biopesticides and smart cultivation methods such as growing resistant varieties and promoting biodiversity in the tea garden. Even if a purely biological solution is not yet available, such approaches - especially in combination - can help to reduce infestations and minimize the use of chemical pesticides. This opens up a more sustainable perspective for tea cultivation and more environmentally friendly pest control.
Producers are currently faced with a choice: either they invest in expensive and strictly regulated pest control measures, or they sell their products to markets outside the EU with less stringent requirements. In order to find a sustainable balance, it is crucial to take local conditions and challenges into account when purchasing and negotiating and to know them in detail. It requires constant technical research in the field of pest control, in-depth specialist knowledge on the part of the tea producers and close, partnership-based cooperation with us as buyers. This is the only way to create economically viable and sustainable solutions that guarantee long-term success and security in the value chain.
Climate change: a growing threat
One of the biggest challenges we have seen is the impact of climate change. This year, temperatures rose to as high as 56 degrees in some regions, which not only puts the plants under stress, but also affects the quality of the tea. The climatic changes are particularly noticeable in Assam, where the tippy teas make up the characteristic aroma profile. The fluctuating weather conditions - extreme heat followed by intense rainfall - lead to a decline in the quality typical of Assam. The picture shows, for example, leaves that have suffered sunburn due to the strong sunlight - a clear sign of the stress to which the plants are increasingly exposed.
Tea producers are responding to the climatic changes with targeted reforestation measures to create natural sun protection for the sensitive tea plants. This involves planting young, shady trees at small intervals between the tea bushes. These new trees not only provide protection from intense sunlight, but also promote the biodiversity of the cultivation areas and help to stabilize the local microclimate in the long term.
Sustainability as a common goal
To meet these challenges, we continue to promote sustainable procurement practices. Organizations such as the Rainforest Alliance, the Indian Tea Association and the Ethical Tea Partnership provide valuable support here. Their work aims to improve ecological and social aspects of tea cultivation. However, change towards more sustainable production is only possible through cooperation between governments, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and companies.
Our trip showed us once again how important it is to develop future-oriented solutions together with our local partners. Responsible sourcing is the basis for long-term success - both for our teas and for the people who grow them. By investing in climate-resilient cultivation practices and supporting initiatives such as the Rainforest Alliance, we are actively helping to secure the livelihoods of workers on the plantations while preserving the quality of our products.
Our trip to India ended in the metropolis of Kolkata, the hub of the Indian tea trade and final supplier meetings. We gained valuable insights and see the urgent need to invest further in sustainable cultivation methods. Climate change and increasing regulatory requirements require us and our local partners to rethink. As a tea trader and company, we are ready to actively tackle these challenges and play our part in a sustainable future.
