Upcoming event School building on a Kenyan tea plantation funded by Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate. Photo: THIRST 2023 Event description Join Suzy Garraghan and Frank Tanner of Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate as they share how a purpose-driven, quality focused approach to purchasing can support a fairer, more sustainable tea industry. This session explores how sustainability through responsible buying practices…
THIRST Tea News Update November 2025 Surveys indicate that most of the tea garden children in Bangladesh are deprived of primary education….
Kazi Yetu’s co-founder, Tahira Nizari, shares her experience of making a purpose-driven, vertically integrated speciality tea company profitable. Decent employment for women and enhancing smallholder farmers’ wellbeing are the driving force behind Kazi Yetu – and it also makes great business sense.
Transform Trade’s Africa Regional Director and THIRST Trustee, Filbert Kavia, leads this insightful session on how the innovative block farming approach can empower women and youth – who might otherwise be marginalised – as smallholder tea farmers.
AMBA Tea’s co-founder Simon Bell explains how they succeeded in transforming a local economy by helping tea farmers to add value to their products, diversify their income and connect to international markets and high end tourism.
Dr Kathrin Gassert, Teekampagne’s Head of Business Development & Communication, describes its extraordinary origin story and demonstrates how the company’s unique trading model works to enhance value share, transparency and sustainability.
Sailesh Sharma explores the origins and journey of the small farmer association, Mineral Springs in Darjeeling, established by former workers on a closed tea estate.
J.John takes you inside the story of Grassroots Tea Corporation (GTC), a bold initiative in Assam, India, that is flipping the script. Formed by several hundred small-scale indigenous farmers, GTC shows what’s possible when producers join forces, build their own processing units and sell tea under their own brand: Equifarm Tea.
Vindhya Fernando of Chrysalis explores the Community Development Forum model, an inclusive approach that brings together plantation workers, management, local government and community members to discuss and resolve everyday issues like workplace dignity, dispute resolution and how supervisors treat workers.
A collection of personal accounts of how Community Development Forums (CDF) have contributed to and inspired individual and collective change on Sri Lankan tea plantations.
