Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains in Northern India, a small group of tea farmers are quietly reinventing the tea industry and reviving the land. The Potong Tea Garden is a collectively run organization of tea farmers; something nearly unheard of in the tea industry which has been dominated by large plantations since the British colonized India in the 1850’s. Now, more than a century and a half later tea bushes planted during that era are approaching the end of their productivity and Potong farmers are in the process of replacing these colonial era tea bushes and reviving fallow land.

In 2011, Equal Exchange partnered with some of their food co-op partners to raise funds in support of Potong’s ongoing replanting efforts. Through this collaboration, they were able to raise $45,000 and Potong has used the funds to plant 49,000 new tea bushes covering nearly 15 hectares of land. It hasn’t been an easy process. Potong experienced 30 percent less rainfall in 2014 compared to previous years and climate change has drastically affected growing conditions; leading to losses of nearly 5 metric tons in the 2014 harvests. Despite these environmental challenges, Potong’s vision for the tea garden is well underway.

Potong’s commitment to biodiversity, organic farming, and stewardship of the land is at the heart of their approach to growing tea. In a recent progress report they noted that as a result of these efforts, they’ve witnessed an increase in the population of birds and other wild life in the area. “It gives profound pleasure and satisfaction to observe nature in its revival…the population of deer, rabbits, wild boar, pangolin, and porcupine are on the rise which has started attracting leopards.” In a world where agriculture and wildlife are increasingly at odds, it is inspiring to see such respect and care for the land and the local ecosystem.  

Equal Exchange is proud to partner with Potong Tea Garden in their efforts to produce sustainable, high quality tea, and to make the tea garden their own. Try Potong’s delicious tea in our English Breakfast, Black Tea, Green Tea, and Jasmine Green Tea. Read more about the Potong Tea Garden here.