Organic tea market : A thrust area

There is a shift to organic foods and organic beverages. Tea Board chairman estimates that exports of certified organic tea is a significant thrust area which has taken off over the last five years. A proposal has been submitted to the FAO for financing through the Common Fund for Commodities the production of organic teas at demonstration farms at an outlay of $3.4m, the highest ever for such a project.

It is further reported that, India is the world’s leading producer and exporter of organic teas. While conventional tea exports have plateaued, there is no such problem for organic tea. Further added that both the WTO and the Convention on Biodiversity allow for subsidies for organic tea.

Organic tea is no longer taboo even for big corporates. Some big corporates, which had led a delegation to the Tea Board in ’95, urging it not to encourage something which appeared to question the credibility of conventional tea, Pilot projects for organic tea are launched. World over, the market for organic foods is estimated at $15bn and projected to increase to $100bn within the next five years, as reported.

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