• Wild Orchard Regenerative Organic Teas

    Michael D. Ham, co-founder and president of Wild Orchard Regenerative Teas, describes in detail the chemical-free cultivation and multiple washings during the processing of the company’s award-winning teas. Ham explains that regenerative organic practices rehabilitate soil, capture carbon to help reverse climate change and result in a clean, authentic taste as nature intended.

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    Michael D. Ham describes the benefits of regenerative organic cultivation
    Cultivation takes into account health, biodiversity, and rehabilitation of the local ecosystem

    Wild Orchard is the First Regenerative Organic Certified Tea

    Jeju Island lies 130 kilometers off the southern coast of South Korea in the Korea Strait. Dormant for the past 5,000 years, Hallasan Mountain is a 1,950-meter volcanic wonderland of craters, cinder cones, and giant lava tubes that dominates the densely foliated island. Popular with tourists for its national park and scenic beaches, the island is also known for its tea.

    Wild Orchard sources all its tea from the 1000-acre MJS Tea Farm where the first of two million trees were planted in 1999. The nutrient-dense soil, gentle mists, and abundant wildlife led growers to plant tea seeds on hillsides that were not terraced or cleared of native plants. Irrigation is solely by rainfall. No fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are applied, and the soil is never tilled. The farm was certified organic in 2007, and the Wild Orchard brand was established in 2019. In May of this year, the brand became the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified tea. It was selected by Noma, the World’s Best Restaurant, to be served on their NYC menu and will soon be available for sale at the Rare Tea Counter at Fortnum & Mason tea shop in London.

    Michael D. Ham: Our farm was established in 1999. At that time they didn’t know the term regenerative they just had the vision and mindset to create the cleanest, purest teas on a volcanic island that they felt was ideal for growing teas. So, they wanted to allow nature to do its work.

    They didn’t want to put any manmade inputs. So, to this day, no herbicides, no pesticides. No fertilizer, everything has been done through nature, all the irrigation is done purely by rainfall. And it’s really a testament to the philosophy that our teas were able to obtain Regenerative Organic Certification earlier this year, the first Camellia sinensis tea to have obtained that aspirational certification.

    We are living in a vastly different world than tea has grown in for centuries. Specifically, the demarcation line is the Industrial Revolution. With the advent of machinery, and fossil fuels. Today we’re living in a world where there’s massive pollution in our water table and in the air. And as you mentioned, tea is a bio remediator it absorbs a lot from its surroundings both under the earth in the soil and above ground. And so to be able to create a clean environment, for the teas results in a more authentic pure tea. That’s the philosophy that our farm has to be able to grow tea and living soil, greater nutrient density, more antioxidants, but also flavor and have that move all the way into the cup for the consumer to taste that its purest form. That’s really what regenerative is about in terms of the authenticity of tea.

    Sunrise over 6,397-foot Hallasan Mountain

    Dan: Tea readily adapts to its environment. If that environment has high amounts of lead in the atmosphere, toxins in the water, and a climate where the plants are alternately parched or flooded, the finished tea will reflect that in the cup. At Wild Orchard, tea coexists with other plants, which is not idyllic as plants must fight off pests and disease and struggle to establish a root system to deliver essential nutrients and minerals. Will you share with listeners some other aspects of regenerative cultivation?

    Michael: What makes our teas distinctive from a regenerative perspective is that we set the highest standards throughout the entire process of planting, growing, and producing our teas with the understanding that we are working under the providence of nature, which is key. We first plant by seed which results in a rootstock that goes deeper into the soil and enables the pulling in of more nutrients for a healthier tea leaf. Second, we do not till the land keeping the surface covered naturally to protect the soil ecosystem. This allows the microbiome in the soil to thrive which further elevates the quality of the tea. This is a key element of farming regeneratively. Third, we harvest only the minimum amount necessary, returning any byproducts to the ground to improve soil fertility, without the need for artificial fertilizers. It is all-natural, which again elevates the quality of the tea. Fourth, we do not apply any chemicals to the ground whatsoever. No pesticides, no herbicides, fertilizer, etc. We allow only nature to grow our teas – the sun, the wind, the rain, and living soil. So it’s very simple, but it’s very painstaking in the beginning to get to that stage. Lastly, we hand harvest our teas and we process them with the greatest care to deliver the highest quality teas to our customers.

    Dan: What techniques and technology do you rely on to make prize-winning teas?

    Michael: So, there are so many things that go into producing prize-winning teas, but if I had to choose one specific technique or method, I think that it would be that we wash our tea leaves four times, and not just with regular tap water. So we keep any equipment that comes into contact with the tea leaves clean. And our farmers are very conscientious about hygiene. So this might be the most basic of basics. But I think this is an extraordinary process that we have, I don’t know anyone else in the world that does this. And, of course, techniques and know-how regarding the various stages of processing tea need to be performed at a high level. But with first principles in mind that tea leaves need to be clean first and foremost, in order for the pure aroma of the tea leaves to reach the cup. And I think this mindset and vision for more farmers to grow teas, as nature has intended, and allow people to drink tea that tastes the way it should inherently, has led to Wild Orchard being honored with 15 awards at the top global tea competitions it’s an ode to the farmers and their vision just to let nature have the biggest impact in growing the teas.

    Dan: Can you really taste the difference?

    Michael: You definitely can taste it. I believe that judges can taste the authenticity of the tea, the way that tea should be tasted inherently. The best way to explain why that’s the case is because when you farm teas regeneratively, you are growing it in living soil, it’s pulling in more nutrients.

    Because the ecosystem is so clean with the biodynamic functioning of animals with the teas with the agroforestry component, everything is working in concert to elevate the quality of the tea. As you said, in monocultures, you’re just focusing on one. So it’s very, very limited in the ability to provide a tea leaf that’s optimal to the way that it should be grown the way it has been grown for thousands of years. So, when you taste conventionally grown tea, you will definitely taste elements of toxins, pesticides, and all these chemicals that should not be in or on the tea leaf. When it’s done regeneratively, you’re getting the most out of that tea leaf without any manmade elements.

    Dan: What did the International Tea Academy competition judges say about the winning teas?

    Michael: Well, we won Leafies in three categories. The green pan-fired was our first flush green tea. The judges described the aesthetics of the leaf before brew, after brew, the aroma and when they look at the taste, they really liked the authentic green tea taste.

    All of these regenerative elements in terms of growing the leaf and making sure that that core element of the Camellia sinensis non oxidized into the green leaf could come out in that taste. I think that’s really what did it the other two categories were our green tea scented tea, and are blended tea and those mix the green tea with fruit notes and things like oranges, lemons, strawberry fruit notes, and that’s a different type of tea. But once again, it adds another element and so the judges were also looking at similar characteristics, how it looked before brew after brew, and then the taste. So I think the regenerative way of farming tastes much more cleanly and purely, and that’s what the judges appreciated.

    Dan: What are the long-term prospects for regenerative-certified tea?

    Michael: Our regenerative certification is by the Regenerative Organic Alliance that was founded by the Rodale Institute. Many well known premium organic brands like Dr. Bronner’s and nature’s path. And so there’s a lot of weight or reputation behind this certification. They pretty much set the highest standards for soil health, animal welfare and farmworker fairness. Those are the three major components and you have to go through a robust auditing process took us two years to obtain and they spent about three, four days on our farm and auditor going through many, many elements through those three core pillars. And only when you achieve a base amount, can you qualify for Regenerative Organic Certification, and they have the bronze silver and gold level. So depending on how much you achieve in that audit and what standards you’ve you’ve achieved, you get these different levels of certification. But now, more and more brands if you go to the supermarket, you’re gonna start to see more regenerative out there. And it’s really the way I put it simply as it’s it goes beyond this simple organic certification because you’re focusing on the soil. You’re there’s also the animal component, a welfare component and the farm worker fairness so it’s really holistic. And it gives the consumer an idea that wow, this product went through extra lengths to provide or produce a product that is not only good for me but for the environment.


    Jeju Island

    So shifting the topic from price-winning teas to climate-smart teas. Recently, you reported on it, but well-respected tea brands such as Tazo and traditional Medicinals have stated that they are also committing to transitioning their portfolios to regenerative why is this important?

    There’s clearly an opportunity to make impact at scale. Studies show that regenerative farms are three to six times more profitable than conventional and the market for Regenerative products all be it in early stages now, continues to gain interest and grow. So if our industry starts to shift from conventional to regenerative, as we’re seeing in other sectors, we can have a tremendous impact on addressing global health and climate crisis. Regenerative practices will allow tea farms to be more resilient and protect smallholder tea farmers amidst the growing climate changes. So what’s the yield issue? Just this summer, you reported China’s extreme heat and its effect on tea farms. But if they had regenerative baked into their operations, they would have been more resilient and they would have had more yield. So in terms of the yield, you have to look at it in the context of today’s climate challenges and regenerative will allow the farmers not only to create a higher quality product or tea, they will be able to future-proof as much as possible, to the extent that they’re farming regeneratively to fight off against all of these floods and heat and all these climate issues that we’re facing on an ever-growing, you know, track each year.


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  • A Stake for Every Stakeholder in Tea

    “We changed one word in our charter to include every farmer supplying even a kilo of leaf to us. We decided that as a Public Benefit Corporation we are not only responsible for creating value for company shareholders but will also create value for all stakeholders. One percent of our top-line revenue goes directly to the farmers.” ??? Nishchal Banskota

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    Nishchal Banskota discusses how the Nepal Tea Collective benefits all tea stakeholders
    Omnichannel Marketing Strategy

    QR Codes Make Tea Easily Traceable by Consumers

    In 2015 after graduating college in the US, Nischal, who grew up near Ilam farming Nepal’s first certified organic tea garden, returned to open the BG Tea Bar, the first tea bar in Kathmandu. A year later, following a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake, he launched Nepal Tea, which has since grown in sales and reputation. Banskota says that he is committed to creating tech-enabled, transparently traded tea. His venture produces award-winning Himalayan teas, sustainably sourced and packaged, bringing jobs to the tea lands that pay double the prevailing wage. Teas are shipped directly to customers worldwide. Every hand-made package is labeled with a QR code that enables buyers to meet the growers at one of three farms. The omnichannel business earns high gross margins selling wholesale and packaged tea. One percent of revenue is reinvested in farming communities, and a tea sapling is planted for every order (10,000 in 2022). Banskota is currently seeking investors on WeFunder with a goal of $600,000. The money will be used to extend the brand to include organic botanicals, make the company’s supply chain more sustainable and construct infrastructure for visiting tea tourists. A three-year goal is to build a modern packaging and fulfillment center in Nepal. The campaign is nearing $200,000. The minimum investment is $250.

    In January 2022 we decided a crucial step towards our bigger mission in the tea industry was to covert our company to a public benefit corporation.

    Day one, when I started the company, it was much more than a money-making business it was a lot more about impact and how we can really help the producers, the farmers who are almost invisible to the consumers.

    My personal goal is to get 1 million farmers out of poverty within their generation and within my lifetime. So, I’m 30 now, and hopefully have enough years in my life to be able to get to that number.

    In the new charter we said we’re not only going to be responsible for creating value for the shareholders, we will also look forward to creating value for all stakeholders. So, we literally changed one word to include every single farmer supplying even a kilo of leaf to us. We then took our mission one step further, to put it into actionable terms so 1% of our top line revenue is directly going to the farmers themselves.

    I know; it’s a very small amount but that gesture will help all the people who supply teas to us to understand that they are not just suppliers, they’re partners in the business. The more we sell, the more we more they get. And the more they get, the more they are going to invest in creating better products. So we’re going to buy it at a better price and sell even more tea. At the end of the day, it establishes a cycle where they create value for us, and we create value for them. This leads to really sustainable relationships with the producers and consumers.

    We want to set the standard high and be accountable. Every single year, we’re going to publish on our website what we did, how we did it, and exactly what that impact was. So everything is going to be completely transparent, and traceable. We are making our lives difficult, in a way. We are doing all of this because we believe the tea industry has not been too fair to the producers and the farmers. And we want to change that.

    Dan: Nishchal, you were born in Nepal, and you’ve lived and worked on a tea farm for much of your life. Will you tell our listeners why Nepal is such a great place to grow tea?

    Nishchal: Nepal itself is the country of the Himalayas. The geography where the tea grows has a microclimate that is absolutely suitable for the production of high-quality teas. The winds blow down from the mountains and moist air from the Bay of Bengal creates a very volatile environment in which the tea plants really thrive. The variations in temperature make Nepal a very nice environment for the tea plants to generate rich flavors, and it’s not just that the tea plants are much younger, which also helps to create the distinct flavors for the teas that are grown in Nepal.

    One of the most interesting things that I have found is the passion of the tea maker — and the tea makers are young. When you think about tea makers, you think about years and decades of experience and all of that but one thing which is quite different in Nepal is that the tea makers are super young. In fact, the tea maker at our family farm is 22 years old. He’s one of the youngest tea makers in Nepal, and is not at all hesitant to experiment with what can be done to these leaves.

    They’re experimenting with a lot of different types of leaves, a testament to their commitment to quality are the awards these teas has been winning in many parts of the world. In fact, just yesterday, six of our teas, which were all made by these young tea makers won awards in the 5th AVPA Teas of the World contest. So there were six awards that were won by our geography.

    All in all the climate and pristine environment is ideal for the production of tea. These tea farmers all busy taking care of these tea bushes, just as they would their child. It is the young tea makers who are experimenting with the best way to create high quality teas aided by the fact that in Nepal the organic way of cultivation has been in place for many years.

    Dan: To realize your vision will take additional resources from outside investors, and ultimately, it will take an organization that is more capable of delivering results at scale, far more so than during the initial startup phase. You’ve done remarkable work over the last six years. Describe why it makes sense to bring additional investors on board. Will you also explain the funding mechanism so that others can help you to realize your vision?

    Nishchal: When my father started the first organic tea garden in Nepal, it was unheard of to use backyard kitchen gardens to grow commercial crops but slowly, slowly, a lot of people picked it up. Today, a combination of cash crops and food for the family are thought of as the ideal model, one that has completely transformed the community.

    I want to replicate that model as it is favorable for the whole country of smallholder farmers. It is will take a lot of investment, a lot of expertise, and a lot of young energy, to fulfill the dream of the collective.

    One of the easiest ways we have found to bring consumers together is to introduce consumers to the producers. What we have done is to connect consumers all around the world, inviting them to become investors to advance our dream.

    The Nepal Tea Collective is opening investments in the company worldwide. We chose an equity crowdfunding model to raise funds. To learn more visit WeFunder.com/nepalteacollective. Individuals can invest as little as $250.

    Our goal is to construct a fulfillment center in the southern part of the country, and be able to collect many different teas from many different geographies, on the hilly areas, and plateaus. The fulfillment center and warehouse will consolidate tea from many growers, store it properly, package it and generate employment and attract foreign revenue for the country. Modern fulfillment will enable growers to leverage the logistics through Amazon and Shopify to sell globally and create an identity for Nepal and Nepali teas

    I envision anybody living anywhere in the world can just go to our website and be able to order keys directly from the source and know where that is coming from, when was it plucked, and how it was made, who are the people behind these teas, and all of that kind of stuff.

    We want tea companies, we want tea lovers, we want anybody who drinks tea to become a part of this.

    We are already starting talks with people who want to see the impact on the ground. So, impact funds or non-governmental agencies, when all of us come together that’s when the beauty begins and really creates value for not just the tea industry. This would be a model for all the agricultural products coming out of the country.

    We’re setting stringent ambitions. We’re looking for at least 80% of our ingredient volume to meet regenerative organic standards by 2029. The remaining 20% are things like citric acid that aren’t necessarily covered by those standards at this time.

    Finally, and most importantly, we are working with our sustainability consulting firm, Pure Strategies, to measure this progress step by step. And we will be keeping our community updated on milestones, through our website and through our social pages.

    So, we know we owe those answers to our consumers.

    Download an Investors Pitch Deck


    Stories of all the wonderful people in the tea world. DM us so that we can feature you too!
    Curated by @nepalteacollective

    Humans of Tea

    Nishchal Banskota recently started a humans.of.tea page on Instagram to shed light on the people in tea, especially the farmers. “We bring their stories to bring to light. Please do send us a message if you’d like to get featured,” he says.


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  • Kenya Ups its Investment in High Value Tea

    Kenya is investing millions in its tea sector to generate jobs and boost foreign exchange earnings. Shortly after taking office, President William Ruto directed the Ministry of Trade to increase exports of value-added tea from 5% to 50% during the next five years. In October, he announced funding for a public-private processing and packaging facility in Mombasa and approved $6 million to increase orthodox production at 10 Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) factories. Kenya Tea Board CEO Peris Mudida writes, “Tea plays a key role in the socioeconomic development of our country. However, the tea industry’s full potential in Kenya has not been fully optimized due to low-value addition and product diversification levels.” The Ruto administration intends to achieve that potential.

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    Tea Board CEO Peris Mudida discusses Kenya’s plan to grow its brand.
    Kenya Tea Board CEO Peris Mudida
    Kenya Tea Board CEO Peris Mudida

    Kenya’s New Tea Board is Energized and Able

    By Dan Bolton

    Founded in 1950 as an independent, public body responsible for developing, promoting, and regulating Kenya’s tea industry, in 2014, the Kenya Tea Board was dissolved in favor of a single Agricultural and Food Authority (AFA) housed within the Ministry of Agriculture.

    Peris Mudida, trained in the law, was named head of the AFA’s tea directorate in 2020 after serving six years as the ministry of agriculture’s tea regulation legal services manager.

    In 2021 the newly constituted Tea Board seated elected representatives of smallholder cooperatives and associations, factory operators, large producers, tea traders, and the Kenya Tea Development Agency – a private consortium representing tea farms and factories responsible for producing 60% of the country’s tea. As CEO, Peris works closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade and is the official promoter of Kenya’s tea industry worldwide. She spoke to Tea Biz during the North American Tea Conference in September.

    Dan Bolton: Will you tell listeners a little about the history of the tea board and your thoughts on its reinstatement as Kenya’s tea industry promoter and regulator?

    Peris Mudida: The Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) is mandated by the government of Kenya to provide oversight over the tea sub-sector. TBK is a new institution that came into operation in 2021 after the government made a policy change and brought back the Tea Board of Kenya, which existed previously up to around 2013.

    At that point, a decision was made by the government to consolidate regulatory institutions and the crops sub-sector in Kenya. And so the tea board was converted into the Agriculture and Food Authority. However, after about seven or eight years, a decision was made to reverse that and to re-establish the Tea Board of Kenya. So, the board of Kenya is a state corporation established under the Tea Act, passed in the year 2020. Broadly, the mandate is to regulate, develop and promote the tea sub-sector in Kenya.

    Building resilient communities is one of the first principles, and to address on-the-ground challenges with these experts and partnerships that already exist but are looking for more support from corporate partners like us.

    Dan: Will you share your vision for the tea board?

    Peris: Yes. The tea board of Kenya has a very broad mandate under the Tea Act to develop the sector, promote the tea sub-sector, and regulate the tea sub-sector. Kenya exports most of what it produces. Kenya is the third-largest producer of tea in the world and the leading exporter in the world.

    We want to ensure that the tea that we supply is produced in a sustainable manner and that it gets the returns that we desire. This is especially true for the producers, the farmers who toil on the farms but are unable to make a living. Tea is also important because of the foreign exchange that it adds to our country. So, we are looking at having an industry that meets the farmers’ expectations and the other value chain players in the tea industry, including buyers and tea corporations. We have other people who are involved in the value chain; they pack the tea and sell it. So, we are looking at having everybody get a fair return for whatever they do along the tea value chain.

    Dan: Our listeners share your love of tea, and they live in every corner of the globe, including all 73 tea-producing countries. What message would you like to leave them?

    Peris: My message to the tea consumers is that tea is good. So we want you to take more and more tea and not only more tea but more Kenyan tea. Kenyan tea is good tea, as you well know. It is produced in the highlands of Kenya, where the tea is grown in a natural environment. There is no application of any sort of pesticide. And so you can be sure as you take your tea that it is good for your health, and as you consume that tea, we’d also like to ask you to remember that producers of that tea also need a fair return so that as you buy the tea, that you also pay a fair price for the tea.

    See: Ketepa Tea Packers | Kenya Tea Development Agency

    The goal is to “enable tea consumers globally to distinguish Kenya tea brands and associate Kenya tea products for their quality and authenticity.”

    – Peris Mudida

    Kenya Expands its Orthodox Tea Capability

    Kenya is the third largest tea-producing country by volume, but most of its output is commodity-grade black tea. In 2021 volume reached 537 million kilos. Only a tenth of that total is orthodox processed whole and broken-leaf tea.

    Exports totaled 558,925 million kilos last year. In 2021 tea exports topped $1.36 billion (Ksh135 billion), which was 22% of Kenya’s foreign exchange earnings. The main export markets are Pakistan, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Sudan, and the UAE. Exports to the US are on the rise at 3,535 metric tons. Canada imported 1,086 metric tons of Kenyan tea in 2021.

    Tea exports account for 92% of total tea production. Domestic tea drinkers consume the remaining 8%.

    Seventeen factories are licensed to produce orthodox and specialty tea. Approximately 31.3 million kilos are grown west of the Great Rift Valley, and 15 million kilos are grown east of the rift (mainly by smallholders).

    In October, President William Ruto announced that the government would construct a modern common-use facility in Dongo Kundu to process and package tea. The public-private venture will add value to commodity offerings and expand the availability of orthodox black tea.

    Simultaneously the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) asked the government for Ksh800 million ($6 million) to expand production lines at 10 of its 12 orthodox tea factories. KTDA currently produces five million kilos of high-value specialty tea. White teas, for example, bring as much as Ksh7000 ($58) per kilogram. Purple teas are auctioned for Ksh2400 ($20) per kilo compared to CTC (crush, tear, curl) teas that sell for Ksh270 ($2.25) per kilo.

    Kenya sees opportunities in two markets. First, Africa’s new free agreement encourages neighboring countries to purchase packaged teas for domestic consumption. Kenya recently sent a large shipment of its Ketepa Pride national brand to Ghana, a first under the African Free Trade Continental Area (AfCFTA) pact. Kenya named Morocco, Mauritius, and Tunisia as potential trade partners.

    Expanding orthodox production also enables Kenya to compete better with Sri Lanka, which has seen a 20% decline in the output of premium Ceylon teas. Sri Lanka black teas sell for more than double the price of bulk black teas from Kenya. To accelerate production, KTDA increased subsidies reducing the cost of fertilizer from Ksh6,000 to Ksh3,500 with a target of between Ksh2,500 and Ksh300 per metric ton.

    Mudida says the Tea Board of Kenya is collaborating with state and non-state actors to develop and promote a strong Kenya tea brand. The goal is to “enable tea consumers globally to distinguish Kenya tea brands and associate Kenya tea products for their quality and authenticity,” she said.

    Kenya is not abandoning bulk production, writes Mudida. “We wish to clarify that it is government policy to upscale tea value addition progressively to enhance tea growers’ earnings. The government has not banned the sale of tea in bulk,” she said.

    Mudida anticipates a solid return on investment. 

    “We project that through these incentives, Kenya’s tea industry could generate about 80,000 new jobs and increase annual industry returns substantially,” she said.


    Kenya Tea Board CEO Peris Mudida agrees to coordinate Tea Masters Cup competitions

    Expanding the Brand: Tea Masters Cup

    The Tea Masters Cup (TMC), an international tournament for tea makers, announced the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) will coordinate the country’s tea industry competitions to ensure smooth integration of the local tournaments into the international TMC competitions.

    Kenya is the first African country to join TMC.

    In a joint press statement, TBK CEO Peris Mudida and TMC Chairman Ramaz Chanturiya said the competitions are an important strategy to promote the tea profession, trade, consumption, and collaboration with relevant stakeholders both nationally and globally.

    TMC and TBK announced the partnership and launch of the competition during the International Tea Day Celebrations in May in Kericho.

    Chanturiya called the agreement an important milestone as TMC Kenya competitions will bring together thousands of experienced, creative, professional, and passionate tea makers of different tea cultures into a single authentic international competition system.

    The country looks forward to showcasing her finest premium teas and finest tea masters and look forward to TMC supporting Kenya adopt innovative approaches to global tea collaboration, enhanced tea quality, and trade,” write Mudida and Chanturiya.

    TMC was founded in 2013 and involves people engaged in tasting, preparing, and serving tea and tea drinks by professionals and amateurs in four different categories: tea preparation, tea pairing, tea mixology, and tea tasting.

    During the past decade, TBK has organized the Tea Recipe Competition to create awareness and boost tea consumption locally, with a progressive increase in tea consumption by locals witnessed from 2011 to 2021.

    “Tea Recipe Competition attracted Kenyans from all walks of life and resulted in a boost of local tea consumption from 20 million kilograms in 2011 to 38 million kilograms in 2021,” according to the joint release.


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  • TAZO Adopts Regenerative Business Approach

    Sustainability: it’s great in theory, but things like recycling and composting only get us so far in helping the earth. We should (and can) do a lot more. Going regenerative means improving every aspect of TAZO’s business: from how we make our tea to ensuring that our farming partners get the fair wages and treatment they deserve. TAZO reformulated and relaunched four of its leading blends this summer. TAZO’s long-term ambition is to transform its products and the brand’s entire business operations into a regenerative approach that challenges what the tea industry can do and gives back to people and the planet.” — TAZO

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    Jami Lewchik discusses TAZO’s new regenerative approach to business.
    Jami Lewchik, Head of TAZO and Portfolio Sustainability, ekaterra Americas

    Regenerative: Tea Supply Chain Reimagined

    In releasing four new TAZO Regenerative products, parent tea company ekaterra committed to a sizeable long-term investment in its tea supply chain. Jami Lewchik who manages the sustainability portfolio for ekaterra Americas, said the intent is to support farmers, encouraging them to implement practices to increase soil health and assure fairness to farm workers. Third-party certifier Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) praises ekaterra for “aligning with our mission: to heal a broken system, repair a damaged planet, and empower farmers and eaters to create a better future through regenerative organic agriculture.”

    Dan Bolton: Jami, will you describe how TAZO’s decision to adopt a regenerative business approach expands on the basic concept of fair trade and sourcing from organic and sustainable suppliers?

    Jami Lewchik: Fair Trade and sustainability, of course, are two critical pillars supporting what we’re trying to do. And we’re looking through the lens of regenerative to say, ‘how can we start there?’ and then go further, to get to a place where we’re actually giving back to people and the planet?

    What else will it take to improve the way that tea is grown? And that’s where we layered in the regenerative practices and principles.

    Fundamentally, from the perspective of the agriculture, we are looking at things such as pollinator pathways for protecting biodiversity, and protecting waterways that may be on the land or adjacent land, ensuring those are cared for.

    Many people, I think, are familiar with organic practices and principles, and are now interested in learning more about regenerative but for us, it also goes beyond the land. We’re trying to focus on some key levers to deliver this regenerative ambition. We’re looking at procurement. We’re looking at partnerships, and we’re looking at innovation.

    Procurement is where it becomes very interesting, and I think has real implications across the industry, potentially. Packaging materials is another example. We have a commitment that by 2023 will ensure our priority materials like tree fiber, sugar, and tea are sourced from suppliers that have eliminated any deforestation from their supply chains. And by 2025, we are striving to make 100% of our packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable.

    Building resilient communities is one of the first principles, and to address on-the-ground challenges with these experts and partnerships that already exist but are looking for more support from corporate partners like us.

    Dan: The initial reformulations begin a long process of achieving third-party certification by the Regenerative Organic Alliance for the full range of TAZO tea. Will you describe the process and milestones?

    Jami: We have been working towards this for more than two years. We started by partnering with Pure Strategies, [a consultancy based in Massachusetts] which is our environmental consulting firm. And they helped us do an audit of our existing footprint, first from a product lens, but also from a business and social lens. So, we knew where we were. And then we said where we wanted to go.

    We were hoping to find a third party, an independent certification, that would reassure people that there was transparency and that we weren’t grading our own homework. That’s when we first learned of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. We are a proud ally of ROA, but we are not yet certified by them. I do want to make that clear. We are working towards their standards. We understand their framework. And that’s where we brought in the elements of the regenerative practices and principles at farms, and Fair Trade USA and the USDA’s National Organic Program certification as well.

    Dan: Marketing should simplify decision-making, and while third-party certifications are powerful endorsements that build trust, labels crowded with too many certification emblems and seals are confusing and dilute the significance of individual claims. In contrast, TAZO’s rebranding incorporates regenerative in the name and displays only two seals on the front of the package. Messaging emphasizes three tea growing principles: organic, conservation, and fair trade.

    Jami: It’s a great point, there’s such a world of information out there — and misinformation out there, unfortunately. Right? I’ll use Fair Trade USA as one example. When you see [the certification emblem it represents] the work that’s being done to ensure responsible farming practices and safe, healthy working conditions on the farms, things like gender equity and community development funds to address local needs, and that the farmers and the workers themselves are voting on what those funds are going to be used for. I think there are such rich, informational, educational materials at each of the partners, websites on their social pages, on their LinkedIn. I think that whether it’s the Rodale Institute, the Regenerative Organic Alliance, or Fair Trade USA, these entities are doing a great job of collecting important bits of information for consumers.

    It’s my job as a brand owner to then say, ‘here is that information. Here’s why this is important. We’re putting it all together in a box, a literal box for you to enjoy our TAZO tea.’ And so, we feature some of their stories on our website, or in our social conversations on Instagram, for example, or TikTok trying to meet our consumers where they are, where they might be looking for information, and then make that available to them.

    TAZO is going regenerative and 1 view = $1 towards fighting the climate crisis. EVERY VIEW is a $1 donation to the #RodaleInstitute, a non-profit and global leader in regenerative organic agriculture for 70+ years

    – TikTok reel

    Dan: Reports of climate disasters that put tea in harm’s way increased this summer globally, with droughts, floods, and extreme heat in China all impacting yields and tea quality. Will you talk about aspirational aspects of the brand, such as challenging the status quo?

    Jami: I want to take a moment to acknowledge especially the situation that’s still unfolding in Pakistan and India. TAZO is an ekaterra brand and this is something that’s near and dear and painful to our hearts, and we are working with the communities on the ground there to ensure that these unprecedented humanitarian issues are being addressed.

    Editor’s Note: In September ekaterra donated 100 metric tons of tea, enough for one million flood affected families in Pakistan.

    We have responsibility here in the US as well. TAZO is a US born brand. We are calling attention to the climate crisis and how it disproportionately impacts our communities even beyond the tea growing community.

    TAZO is partnering with American Forests, a nonprofit that goes back to the 1800s, that is challenging the status quo in a very real and meaningful way with urban forestry and restoring the urban tree canopy. They’re restoring some of the beautiful things that trees give to neighborhoods that have been taken away from communities of color in inner city neighborhoods. Trees contribute to better mental health, better air quality and lower, lower heating and cooling bills — in general, a better quality of life can directly be linked to the amount of trees in your community. We are in five cities, working with Davy Tree certified arborists to recruit and train people in these communities not just to plant a tree and walk away, but to care for it.


    TAZO is a member of 1% for the Planet, which means that 1% of TAZO’s sales go directly to non-profit partners who are all working to further our regenerative ambition – including The Recycling PartnershipRodale InstituteRegenerative Organic AllianceAmerican ForestsWE ACT For Environmental Justice and Intersectional Environmentalist.

    TAZO reformulated ZEN™, Awake® English Breakfast, Chai, and Darjeeling are branded “regenerative” as will every other future new teabag product. These first TAZO Regenerative blends are USDA Organic Certified, made with Fair Trade USA Certified™ ingredients, made with Rainforest Alliance Certified teas, and are made with ingredients grown with verified regenerative organic agriculture practices that help conserve nature and protect biodiversity. )

    Dan: Earlier this year, the NewClimate Institute issued a report critical of companies trumpeting “ambitious sounding” carbon goals. Nestle and Unilever offered rebuttals. Last month, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority banned advertising a popular Unilever detergent for unsupported claims about its sustainability. Listeners will find it helpful in your role as head of sustainability if you share insights about consumers’ expectations.

    Jami: It’s a very important question. And I think the answers might be something that the consumer has never thought of. In my opinion, consumers are looking for is transparency, and some sort of reliability and reassurance that what the company is promising is true.

    I will say for us, we see that businesses must play a role in addressing climate change, because we played such a large role in creating it. Companies, throughout the tea industry, all need to step up and reduce our contributions to greenhouse gas, and address the full climate impact that we’ve created. To make sure that this is done in in a way that is impactful, and measurable, and authentic, and transparent, we think targets for greenhouse gas emissions should be science based [Science Based Targets, initiative]. Validation of science based targets (SBTi) is critical.

    At TAZO, our goal is to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2026. And to be on the path to science based net zero emissions, including a 45% absolute reduction of scopes, one, two, and three greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (our base year is 2020 in that calculation). So that’s first and foremost, I believe that SBTi, the Science Based Targets initiative has built a program, a framework, essentially, that the industry could and should leverage in order to reassure consumers and in order to actually make measurable change.

    TAZO is working on our full climate impact by completely overhauling our means of production and transitioning to regenerative organic, as we talked about at the top of the call. So, this is encompassing everything from soil health to worker fairness. You know, we’re a proud ally of the ROA and the Rodale Institute in this space.

    We are putting our money where our mouth is. I mentioned how farmers are making real life choices every day on how to address the impacts of climate change on their land. So right now, we are we are raising funds towards the Rodale Institute up to $250,000 to give to them to support farmers who are looking to transition to organic farming. And we are doing that in a, hopefully a cheeky and fun way with a TikTok ad.

    We didn’t spend a lot of money to buy media, we didn’t buy TV, we didn’t buy print. We went without paid media, hoping that people would talk about it and generate views. Instead of spending that money on media we’re saying that for each view, it’s $1 donated to the Rodale Institute up to $250,000.

    Because by starting a conversation, people start to discuss: What is regenerative agriculture? Why is it important? What are regenerative business practices? Why is fair trade important?

    We want to build momentum, we want the conversation to keep going and for consumers to learn more about it, to ask for more of it to drive that sort of flywheel, that virtuous cycle of growth, where the demand increases, where more people want Fair Trade certification. So more farmers and communities are earn Fair Trade certification and earn Fair Trade money.. This is why we’re gonna transition our entire range to be regenerative organic.

    We’re setting stringent ambitions. We’re looking for at least 80% of our ingredient volume to meet regenerative organic standards by 2029. The remaining 20% are things like citric acid that aren’t necessarily covered by those standards at this moment in time.

    Finally, and most importantly, we are working with our sustainability consulting firm, Pure Strategies, to measure this progress step by step. And we will be keeping our community updated on milestones, through our website and through our social pages.

    So, we know we owe those answers to our consumers.


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  • Water for War-torn Ukraine


    Numi Tea Foundation distributes water filters, solar-powered devices to Ukrainians displaced by Russian invasion

    Maybe you’ve seen the photographs: People drinking water from muddy puddles. Families crouching in pitch-black basements or caves, with nothing to light their hideaways.

    These are the stories of millions of Ukrainians who have been displaced by the Russian invasion of their country. People have been forced to flee, leaving their families, friends, possessions. Their homes. Their homeland.

    Oakland-based Numi Organic Tea wanted to do something to help. They have a foundation—the Numi Foundation—that supports the communities where they farm, as well as people in need in the San Francisco Bay area, where their head office is located.

    Numi recognized that they have the resources, know-how, and connections to apply the clean-water work they’ve done in farming communities to help the people of Ukraine.

    With the support of Numi tea drinkers, that’s exactly what they’re doing.

    Numi has partnered with two organizations, Waves for Water and MPOWERD, to raise $1 million to provide clean, safe drinking water and solar-powered lights and charging devices to up to 550,000 displaced Ukrainians.

    The Together for H2OPE – Ukraine campaign will use a network of trained people in Ukraine to distribute the filters and devices to people who need it most, and provide a little light and a little hope to people in the war-torn country.


    Caption: An activist participating in Together for H2OPE – Ukraine adds a water filter to a bucket. The initiative aims to raise $1 million to distribute water filters to more than 550,000 displaced Ukrainians.

    Photo credits: Angela Nardolillo

    Listen to the interview
    A conversation with Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Executive Director of the Numi Foundation
    Activist participating in Together for H2OPE – Ukraine holds water bottles filled with clean water, ready to distribute to displaced Ukrainians.

    A conversation with Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Executive Director of the Numi Foundation

    Jessica Natale Woollard: The Numi Foundation’s Together for H2OPE initiative is currently focused on bringing clean water to displaced Ukrainians in their country. But it’s not the first time the foundation has supported clean water initiatives. So — why water?

    Water bottles ready to be filled with cleaned water provided by Numi’s Together for H2OPE campaign.

    Darian Rodriguez Heyman: The short answer is that you can’t make tea without it.

    Clean water and access to clean and safe drinking water is something we take for granted in this country. But more than 10% of the global population does not enjoy the same kind of access. 

    We started looking at access to clean water as a basic human right. It felt very relevant to the brand to make sure that people — especially the residents of our Numi farming communities — have access to the same clean and safe drinking water that we enjoy here.

    “Numi is unique in that we know the exact farm that 89% of our ingredients come from.”

    – Darian Rodriguez Heyman

    Jessica: So when you heard about the terrible war in Ukraine, you decided to apply your experience helping give Numi farming access to clean water to the Ukrainian people? 

    Darian: That’s exactly right.

    We had built up some expertise around fundraising, around project management, around finding the right partners to get clean water projects executed at scale and quickly in, for example, Madagascar, South Africa and India.

    When the Russian invasion happened, we heard about not only the five million refugees, but the seven million Ukrainians who were displaced and still trapped in the country — living in subways and in basements, and having to drink water out of dirty puddles and streams. We heard that access to clean water was one of the top needs for the Ukrainian people because of the war. It was something we felt compelled to act upon.

    Darian Rodriguez Heyman

    Jessica: Is Together for H2OPE focused on those displaced Ukrainians still in the country of Ukraine?

    Darian: Historically, the program has been focused on Numi farming communities specifically, but in this case we’ve repurposed the program and our network and expertise. 

    We’ve lined up partners specific to the Ukraine project that have relevant expertise. We’ve already started raising money; we’ve raised over $150,000 so far, which has enabled us to serve over 79,000 Ukrainians.

    But we’re not even close to done. The goal is to raise a million dollars and to help over 550,000 Ukrainians who are still trapped in country but displaced from their homes. We want to provide them access to clean and safe drinking water, but also clean solar-powered lighting as well as power so they can charge their phones and other devices and get access to lifesaving resources. 

    Jessica: What equipment are you distributing to help clean the water?  

    Darian: It’s a very simple water filter that fits on a bucket. 

    It’s standard; it has no moving parts, no electronics, and the typical water filter will last for 20 years. It’s good for over a million gallons without needing to be serviced or maintained. They’re built to be indestructible and perfect for a war-torn region and what’s happening in Ukraine right now.

    The other product is the MPOWERD solar powered light and charging station. People can use the sun to charge it, and then they can plug their phones in. They can access a light so that when they’re underground they’re able to see what they’re doing. 

    MPOWERD Lantern

    Jessica: How are you distributing these products on the ground in Ukraine? 

    Darian: We’re leveraging veterans as our boots on the ground.

    The main implementation partner that we’re working with is Waves for Water, and they’ve been around for over a dozen years. They’ve worked in over 40 countries and helped over four million people access clean water. 

    Their primary workforce is veterans who have a unique set of skills; they’re very comfortable in fluid environments and in war-torn regions. They work after natural disasters, after Haiti, in New Jersey, after Hurricane Sandy, where I grew up. 

    But they also worked in Afghanistan and places like that. They’re pretty comfortable diving, literally diving in, and getting the product to the borders. 

    A volunteer with Together for H2OPE – Ukraine stands with water bottles ready to be distributed.

    Jessica: I understand that every time someone purchases Numi Organic Tea, they are contributing to initiatives like Together for H2OPE — because the company diverts some of its profits to the foundation. 

    Can people contribute to Together for H2OPE any other way?

    Darian: Aside from buying Numi Organic Tea, which they’re always welcome to do, we are inviting donations.  We’re primarily directing those through Waves for Water.

    Jessica: Any final thoughts?

    Darian: Tea is a vehicle; it’s a platform. And Numi Tea firmly believes it’s a platform for mindfulness, for intentionality, and for ultimately creating the life in the world that we want to see, not only for ourselves, but for those around us. 

    Tea, by nature, is a communal drink. We’d love to see as many tea drinkers as possible join us in the effort to build a better world and make sure that each and every Ukrainian who’s been displaced from their home, whether they are a refugee and had to flee, or whether they’re still in the country, that they have access to the resources and support they need to rebuild their lives and rebuild their country.

    Numi Organic Tea knows the exact farm from which 89% of their ingredients come from, says Darian Rodriguez Heyman, the Numi Foundation’s executive director.
    Numi Organic Tea donates part of their profits to the Numi Foundation, helping fund campaigns to support farming communities where Numi sources tea as well as people in the San Francisco Bay Area, near the company’s main office.

    This interview has been edited and condensed.


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