Smallholder tea farmers often face an uphill battle. With limited access to markets, many are forced to sell their green leaves to intermediaries or large factories quickly and often at unfair prices. But a quiet revolution is brewing.
This webinar takes you inside the story of Grassroots Tea Corporation (GTC), a bold initiative in Assam, India, that is flipping the script. Formed by several hundred small-scale indigenous farmers (many from the Bodo tribe) GTC shows what’s possible when producers join forces, build their own processing units and sell tea under their own brand: Equifarm Tea.
GTC’s approach is simple but powerful. The farmers manufacture high-quality, chemical-free tea using regenerative farming methods. They sell directly to consumers and buyers, cutting out the middle layers. Their ambitions don’t stop there: they’re breaking gender norms in tea processing, building income streams from aquaculture and supporting women to become entrepreneurs in handcrafted green tea.
This is more than a case study. It’s a glimpse into what a fairer and more sustainable tea industry could look like driven from the ground up... with a little extra help. Join JJohn, managing director of Grassroots Tea Corporation, as he shares the thinking behind this innovative model, the lessons learned so far and his hopes for a more equitable future in tea.
This is the sixth in THIRST's series of FREE webinars exploring Alternative Approaches in the tea sector. Visit our website for the full list of upcoming webinars and links to recordings of all the past webinars.
