Making a difference one tea cup at the time
The world of tea production isn’t always pretty. But they are some great initiatives out there and the one I will showcase today is Nepal Tea.
You may have noticed how popular Tea related Kickstarters are getting lately. I stumbled upon several projects and the story behind is what got me interested. The majority of the Kickstarters I have seen are related to tea infusers, tea tumblers, or teapots introducing some ingenious design.
What I really love the most on Kickstarter are the projects trying to make a difference when it comes to the communities especially the tea farmers, the estate or the terroir and the heritage. This is the case for example of the very successful projects that reached their goals, such as Tea Journey Magazine, Young Mountain Tea and Story of My Tea.
I wish Nepal Tea the same if not greater success.
I found out that what usually happens is that Nepali farmers earn few dollars a day and carry their tea crops to sell them across the border in India. That tea is later exported as Indian tea. A project like Nepal Tea will boost the sustainability of the economy of the Kanchanjangha Tea Estate producing high mountain teas from the foothills of Mt. Kanchanjangha in Nepal, allowing them to cut the middlemen. This initiative will allow this community to directly export the fruit of their labor to the consumer: you and me. I am all for it, especially if like, in this case, Nepal Tea are producing certified organic teas from a very clean region with no pollution.
5 Reasons for you to care
Well… Number ONE I care. So should you 😉
1-FOR HUMBLE TEA LEAF READERS
Actually, this is exactly the kind of initiative I want to promote on my blog so I am really happy to spread the word. To make it even more awesome, my readers will get 15% extra tea with any pledges knowing that they are starting at only $10. Support this project here and email me to make sure you get the added bonus.
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2-AWARENESS
Awareness is key, so share this article on twitter, facebook, google+ so that we can crush it! 😀 Don’t underestimate the power of your influence.
3-WATCH THIS GREAT VIDEO
The last thing to know: the founders of this project are both Nepalese. The fact they’re trying to launch something like this, helping the communities and what their homeland has to offer is worth the shoutout! SUPPORT THEM HERE
You have to know something else about Nepalese tea and I am going to quote Marty Kushner here (Former chairman of the Tea Association of the USA and past member of the US Government Board of Tea Experts):
“The higher the altitude, the slower the growth of the tea plants. The slower the growth, the finer the quality of the tea. Tea drinkers will savor nature’s unhurried accomplishment in these Nepali teas.”
4- TEAS FROM THEIR GARDEN
Nepal teas are very rare and are considered a “best-kept secret” counting as 0.4% of the total world tea output so some in your tea stash 😉
If you’re curious to read more reviews, I would recommend you check out Amanda’s post on the White Prakash, Heather’s review on the Green Pearls, CuppaGeek’s post on the Silver Yeti, and John’s posts on the black and Oolongs teas as well as the Gold tips and Green teas.
5-EDUCATION
As a former teacher myself, I love the fact an educational program is provided for the children of the tea farmers. Their whole concept of free housing, free education, and the cow distribution is a recipe of sustainability and a healthy community that can only succeed.
Always remember to “Do Good to Others”
When it comes to quality, making a difference, sustainability I am always eager to contribute. You’re welcome to support this initiative on Kickstarter by following this link. Thanks for reading 🙂
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