Trinitea

Whether you are a tea lover or not, we do not get a second chance with our lovely and beautiful Earth. Consume sustainably, recycle what you can and support businesses that work towards building eco-friendly and conscious methods.

When it comes to committing to sustainability - be it businesses, daily lifestyle or consumption, these choices are often considered temporary. For some, it’s a trend. Some believe we can stop being sustainable once our ecosystems are restored. There are many social and economic factors that play a role in shaping anyone’s beliefs on sustainability. We have to break it to you. Sustainability is a never-ending commitment. Because the need for sustainability is never-ending. While our planet is at a point well beyond the climate crisis, we desperately need to be sustainable. Not only to minimise further damage, but to also reverse the damage caused from centuries of over-consumption and waste. It needs to start at the ground floor. Farmers need to be empowered to help them become sustainable in their farming practices. Be it enabling their transition to sustainable farming products, prioritising quality & safety standards, conserving the ecosystem around them and more. And we have to stick to it. Because it is the overconsumption and commercialisation of farming that brought us to this point in the first place.

Nothing is driven in the industry until there is a demand. One of the key fundamentals for a business to exist is profit. It may seem like a very basic and trivial thing, but it drives almost every decision in any company. To keep any business viable, their consumers need to be happy with the products they offer. So far, consumers are generally very distant from the production, distribution and packaging processes for tea. Hence, we truly believe the most compelling factor to push for sustainable changes in the tea industry is when the psyche of the consumers changes.  The current rise in sustainable consumption is not enough to bring the change. One of the key initiatives towards the same is implementing traceability in the tea industry. Through the joint collaboration of Solidaridad Asia and the Indian Tea Association, Trinitea has begun implementing SoliTrace - an end-to-end traceability program where consumers can see the entire supply chain process and connect with the farmer. It helps consumers to be aware of their footprint, and a deeper understanding on what goes behind production of tea, encouraging them to be mindful of their impact. What are your thoughts on this? Comment below.

While we work towards a sustainable future for the Indian tea industry, it’s important we pay attention to the female workforce, who often drives tea farming and processes in the background. Almost 50% of the workforce on tea farms and plantations is made up of women, mostly daily workers, with a small percentage of them being tea farmers and landowners. Most of the tea plucking is done by women on tea farms, as they are considered to be better and swifter with their slender hands. The long working hours, combined with handling household chores, take a toll on their health and livelihood. They face limited advancement opportunities, lack representation in the larger scheme of things, or cannot find support for their education and healthcare needs. This International Women’s Day, we want to highlight the plight women face to the various stakeholders in the tea industry and work together to address these challenges for a truly sustainable future. . . . #trinitea #sustainability #tealovers #tea #chai #opportunity #education #healthcare #womensday #women #highlight

In India, Small Tea Growers typically two acres of land, collectively contribute to more than 50% of tea production. With a lack of resources, finances and limited land ownership, Small Tea Growers face a variety of sustainability challenges that need an urgent and comprehensive approach to solutions. Not only do they get low prices for their produce, but no accessibility to knowledge and sustainable resources pushes them to rely more on chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Along with the impact of climate change, it leads to long-term degradation of their land and lesser value as stakeholders in the tea supply chain. Due to this, small tea growers often generate minimal to very low profits, causing scarce livelihoods. The Trinitea Programme, an initiative of Solidaridad Asia and the Indian Tea Association, works to bring sustainable changes for Small Tea Growers through advocacy in the supply chain, retraining, providing knowledge and financial resources, increasing access to technological innovations and lobbying for stronger policies to support them. Follow Trinitea India to know more about bringing a change towards sustainability in the tea industry. . . . #tea #sustainability #trinitea #teaforlife #farmers #farmer #innovation #technology #teaindustry

It’s a given that brands have to take the responsibility of meeting the quality requirements of tea, as promised to the consumers. They take innumerable measures, right from sourcing good quality green leaf from suppliers, ensuring proper production, registration, licensing, etc. On the other hand, while there are guidelines laid out by the Tea Board India for the use of chemicals and methods of farming, little focus is placed on the outcome of the produce, especially for taste, aroma and strength of tea leaves. What if quality measures for green leaf begins at the source? Working on quality from the ground up carries many benefits for the tea industry, especially towards increasing sustainability in the supply chain. If farmers are about to directly influence flavour profiles and overall quality of green leaf through sustainable methods and consistent assessments, not only will their value proposition increase, it will make way for traceability by increasing access of farmer data, fair prices, better raw material for tea products, and backed data for brands to support their claims. With the Trinitea Programme, we are working with small tea growers in North-East and South India to empower them with tools that allow self-assessment of quality and safety. Farmers can download an easy-to-use app in multiple languages and answer over 100+ questions about their methods, get recommendations and track progress over time. What do you think about bringing quality improvement at the forefront for farmers? Comment below!