Who grows your tea? When you buy tea, you might do so based on a brand name, the flavour, the taste or simply because someone gifted it to you. But ever wondered who are the people that ensure your morning brew helps you take on the day on a positive note? Is it a big corporation or rural women doing the hard work in their backyard?
The answer will surprise you.
Tea production in India has long been a significant player on the global stage, reaching an impressive 1343.06 million kg in 2021. At the forefront of this industry is Assam, contributing a substantial 49.17% to the country’s total output. What’s noteworthy is that over half of this tea – a significant 51.29% – is produced by small tea growers (STGs), marking a shift towards decentralisation and community involvement.
However, behind these statistics lies a crucial narrative of women, particularly from Adivasi households, who play pivotal roles in various tea-related activities. From cultivation and harvesting to transportation and selling green leaves, these women are the unsung heroes of the industry. Yet, despite their indispensable contributions, they often lack ownership rights over the land they tirelessly work on.
In response to this disparity, the Small Tea Grower Rural Women Entrepreneurs (STG RWE) program emerges as a beacon of change. This innovative initiative aims to engage 1,000 women from small tea grower households across 20 clusters in Rongmongve, Nilip Blocks, Karbi Anglong District, and Kaliabor Block, Nagaon District in Assam. These Rural Women Entrepreneurs (RWEs) will not only cultivate and manufacture high-quality green tea but also market it under the brand name ‘equifarmtea.’
Facilitating this transformative journey is the Grassroots Tea Corporation (GTC), acting as a technical partner in the Udyamini-Rural Women Enterprises Program. GTC provides technical inputs to women in STG households to cultivate chemical-free tea, manage operating tea processing units and market ethical, traceable Premium Karbi Handcrafter Tea This not only supports the women in generating sustainable income but also promotes environmentally friendly and socially responsible practices in the tea industry.
Insights from the Baseline Study: Challenges and Opportunities
As the STG RWE program embarks on its mission, a baseline study offers crucial insights into the challenges faced by these women and the potential for positive transformation.
“One glaring issue is the existing business model, where RWEs sell their harvested green leaves to bought-leaf factories through intermediaries. The lack of agency in determining prices for their produce leaves them vulnerable to exploitation, with agents holding a monopoly that hinders their financial growth,” Sujit Hazarika from GTC tells EastMojo.
Financially, the average household income is Rs. 7400/- per month, with tea contributing a significant 66%. This emphasizes the economic importance of the tea industry to these households, underscoring the need for fair compensation and ownership rights.
“Surprisingly, despite their active involvement in agriculture, particularly tea leaf plucking, a staggering 80% of RWEs use both chemical fertilizers and pesticides in their gardens. This highlights a potential environmental concern and the need for sustainable farming practices,” adds Arindam Ghosh of GTC.
One of the most significant findings is the lack of ownership rights over the tea plantation the households have. Around 96% of the surveyed RWEs do not have tea plantation registered in their name. The program’s focus on empowering these women economically aligns with addressing this crucial issue.
Notably, the RWEs demonstrate high connectivity, with almost all owning smartphones and being familiar with various social media platforms. This presents an opportunity to leverage technology for education, market access, and networking.
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As GTC provides technical inputs to create a business model that supports these women, the baseline study provides a roadmap to address existing challenges, fostering a future where rural women are not just contributors but owners in the thriving tea industry. The STG RWE program is poised to create a positive ripple effect, transforming lives and the tea landscape in Assam.
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