The headquarters of Confederation of International Tea Smallholders (CITS) have been shifted to India from China for the next four years which is a big achievement for small tea holders. The decision was taken by FAO IGG on Tea at its 25th session in Guwahati.
Smallholders have a prominent place in the tea sector. Globally smallholders cultivate 70% of the acreage under tea and produce 60% of raw leaf. Their vitality and integral role within the tea supply chain cannot be overstated. Solving the issues facing this sector is essential for the long-term viability and health of the tea industry, not to mention the farmers and communities themselves
The facts that both the Government of India and Assam government have significantly invested in the development of the small tea growers sector and that a dedicated R & D Centre was established in Tocklai influenced the IGG’s decision.
The CITS was established at the 22nd session of FAO IGG on Tea in 2016 to provide a forum for the development of policies and solutions to strengthen the global tea smallholder sector by acting as a convener, catalyst and source of reference, to improve the consistency of tea policy-making on a global level. CITS was launched to include the consumer countries and get full support from all stakeholders and value chains, from the field to the cup.
Nearly 250,000 small growers are cultivating tea in India, contributing to 46% of its production. Welcoming the development, Bijoygopal Chakraborty of Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Associations (CISTA) says the move will help show the whole world what India is doing for small tea growers and also raise the issues of small tea growers being faced by the sector.
A total of 77 delegates attended the session in Guwahati over three days. During that time India was named the new Chair of the FAO IGG on Tea, taking over from the United Kingdom for the next two years.
The working group on small holders have agreed to develop an open access platform available to purchasers around the world that would generate what could be considered a sustainable price for consumers, based on where the tea is from. The objective of the project is to create education for consumers around the world who are looking to purchase tea at a sustainable price but don’t always understand what that price should be.
Calculations will take into account different production styles and varying dynamics within the supply chain including smallholders who produce only green leaf as well as those with full production capabilities.