QTrade Teas & Herbs founder Manik Jayakumar is the 2019 recipient of the John Harney Lifetime Achievement Award. Jayakumar founded the Los Angeles-based tea trading company 25 years ago after fleeing war-torn Sri Lanka. The company has since become one of the largest suppliers of organic tea and herbs in North America.
He began his 56-year career in the gardens and rose to manage several of the best producing properties in Sri Lanka prior to the decades-long civil war.
At the awards ceremony during World Tea Expo, Jayakumar, a champion of organic production, said that “organic agriculture is not easy, but there are passionate and dedicated people in many countries making great organic teas. Organic agriculture not only revitalizes the soil and environment, but it also makes a difference in the health of the workers on organic estates.”
“The real heroes of our industry are the millions of plantation workers around the world that get up every morning in difficult environments and work for humble salaries,” said Jayakumar. He urged the industry “to do more. It does not take a lot to make a big difference.”