WG/OT/2
IGG/Tea: Intersessional 2012
INTERGOVERNMENTAL
GROUP ON TEA
INTERSESSIONAL MEETING
Washington, DC, USA
17-18 September 2012
Working Group on
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Organic Tea
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Submitted by India in its capacity as Co-chair of this Working Group.
IGG/Tea: Intersessional 2012
Development, production and marketing of
organic tea
The indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers has resulted in productivity falling
successively year after year with an accompanying loss in soil organic carbon.
Various locations have favourable climate, good irrigation facilities and even after
applying fertilizers, yields are not normal. This shows that soils have lost their
inherent capacity to supply nutrient or productive capacity of soils has gone down.
The application of excessive pesticides has resulted in the evolution of more
resistant pests. Organic farming has been slowly but steadily trying to answer the ill
impacts of chemical agriculture, but there are various impediments of organic
agriculture:
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Lack of organized markets.
Inadequate stimulus and encouragement to emerging certification initiatives.
Very high publicity, aggressive campaign and propaganda for pesticide/ fertilizer
and other agro-chemicals which erode the faith of the common person in organic
chemicals.
Organic inputs are not easily available and are required in large quantities
Low number of recognized training institutions to impart training in organic
agriculture.
Weak political will on the part of local and national governments to evolve and
promote organic agriculture for long term sustainability.
Objectives
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To standardize organic packages in tea producing countries stressing the use of
local inputs for nutrition, preparation of formulation, research and development
(R&D) and application of such organic input packages keeping organic principles
in mind.
To develop national organic programmes, standardization of certification and
granting of equivalency of standards to help export.
To develop and exchange technologies for production of organics among small,
big growers.
To generate market information and develop strategies for marketing.
To label and promote organic tea as low carbon produce for growth of this sector
and financial gain.
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IGG/Tea: Intersessional 2012
Action plan
A. Status of organic tea cultivation and availability of packages
Compilation and submission of production technology in abstract form about the
local organic packages, agro inputs, local flora in each of the member country
Minimum information about the region for which P & P developed or to be
developed
o Name
o Location (coordinates)
Minimum dataset defining the climate and tea cultivars of the region
o Climatic parameters
o Cultivars used
o Major crops of region with area
Information on soils (whatever is available)
o Series
o Fertility status
o Texture
o Topographical features
o Drainage characteristics
Minimum information about the experiment
o Site (R & D area or commercial)
o Size/treatments/replicates/design
o Period of experiment
o Success/failure of treatments
o Published/unpublished – publications for information sharing
o Whether the results were tested on commercial gardens
Information about P & P
o Complete statement of P & P developed
o Possible replication in other regions
o Major constraints/limitations
o Success stories (if any) vis-à-vis benefits accrued
B. Status of organic tea certification and mutual recognition of other system.
o Compilation of existing status of certification of organic tea
o Submission of reference documents prevailing in each of the member
country
o Recognition of other certification systems for mutual benefits
C. Marketing of organic tea
o Existing procedure and modalities for marketing of organic tea
o Assessment of global demand for organic tea
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IGG/Tea: Intersessional 2012
D. Identification of areas of mutual co-operation
o Formation of working group/sub working groups at country/regional level –
working group already formed on broad lines – need to percolate down to
country/institutional level
o Defining problems in production (constraints) regionally and locally
o Realizing opportunities (natural endowments and availability of inputs)
o R & D design for both new plantations and conversion
o Workshops with national and international (if possible) experts to finalize the
R & D agenda for a region
o Periodic evaluation locally and internationally
E. To label and promote organic tea as low carbon produce for growth of this sector
and financial gain.
Carbon sequestration in organic tea production is one of the areas where
attention should be focused for multiple gains. Carbon sequestration is the
natural removal of carbon from the atmosphere by the soil and plants. It has also
been described as any of the several processes for the removal of excess
carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere in an effort to mitigate global
warming. In principal carbon storage by shade and other leguminous trees
grown on organic farms should be considered for carbon trading. The CO2
fixation by trees on organic tea farms needs to be taken into account and sold
through the carbon market. This may provide an opportunity to compensate
greenhouse gas emissions directly inside supply chains.
Most of the outcomes of global studies on climate change are at continental level,
while the details at regional and sub-regional level which strongly influence the total
economics are inadequate. Tea production systems are basically regional to subregional, hence there is a need for detailed studies. In its assessment reports of
2000 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) categorically stated
the need for more comprehensive studies to be carried out at the regional /subregional production system level as the climate is strongly influenced by local
topography, location and proximity to sea and oceans. Studies by various agencies
across the globe were taken up using various approaches to conceptualize the
climate change in a specific region and its impacts on the various production
systems and economic sectors in that region. Most of these studies, however,
suggest the need for (a) detailed analysis of long term weather and productivity
information to quantify the specific changes in weather conditions that have occurred
over the period; and (b) how they (current and future weather) are/will be affecting
the productivity and economic activities/returns from that region.
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