STiR coffee and tea magazine

44 STiR coffee and tea | 2026 Quarter 2 Summer (Jun/July/Aug) T Making Regenerative Tea Farming Accessible Dilli R. Baskota, general secretary of Himalayan Orthodox Tea Producers Association, says Nepal's rich biodiversity and nutrient-dense soil allow farmers to produce exceptional teas without the need for chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Photo credit: Himalayan Orthodox Tea Producers Association The Current Challenges The main challenge farmers face is the effects of climate change, especially in the hills. As a result, they are experienc- ing drastic decreases in productivity dur- ing the quality period known as the first flush, which has shortened. Fluctuating weather conditions have led to unpredict- able production volumes and a decline in quality, including a gradual loss of the tea's signature taste and aroma. However, Dilli R. Baskota, general secretary of Himalayan Orthodox Tea Producers Association, is optimistic. "Nepal tea is gradually catching the eyes of tea connoisseurs and tasters for its fruity and nutty flavors and aroma," Bas- kota told STiR. "It is produced in the virgin soil of the Mt. Kanchenjunga foothills — believed to be a treasure of biodiversity — using traditional agricultural systems that go beyond organic," notes Baskota. "Nature gives you everything, and production can be increased without the use of chemicals or pesticides." In Nepal, there are hardly any re- search institutions on tea to tackle such problems. Research and development play a vital role in fetching premium prices in the orthodox tea sector. Intro- ducing new technical aspects in pruning and plucking is important for enhancing productivity. Due to a lack of institution- al support, Nepali farmers learn through trial and error. o date, regenerative farming research has centered on annual crops, leaving perennials such as tea without the evidence farmers need to transition with confidence. Regenerative practices require upfront investment, sometimes with a lag before benefits materialize. Farmers bear the costs and risk without guaranteed returns. The Regen Tea program focuses on generating that evidence across real farms, under real conditions, and sharing it back into the sector. Regen Tea was born from founder Annabel Kalmar's conviction that what doesn't work should be trans- formed. While studying agriculture and working alongside coffee farmers in El Salvador and the Dominican Re- public, she saw how coffee and chocolate had won consumers' hearts through storytelling and origin awareness, whereas tea drinkers tended to be disconnected from tea's origins and, as a result, accepted low-quality blends. With her company, Tea Rebellion, Annabel set out to change how tea is traded, marketed, and con- sumed. Regen Tea is a nonprofit program that aims to take that mission further: to scale regenerative prac- tices globally, regenerate ecosystems, and strengthen farm resilience in an industry facing mounting climate risk and declining yields. Where the Program Is Now The inaugural year (2025) was all about evidence-building. Four expert deep dives mapped the knowledge gaps around biodiversity and nutrient density, regenerative certification, carbon sequestration in tea cultiva- tion, and financing mechanisms. In 2026, the program is now in its pilot phase. Regen Tea is working with 15 farms (~500 hectares) across eight countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and the UK. Each farm is testing the practices best suited to its conditions (e.g., biodiversity buffers, agroforestry, biochar, mini- mal tilling, no-turn composting). The aim is to scale the pilot to 50 farms (~3,000 hectares) in 2027 and 100 farms (~6,000 hectares) by 2028. The 10-year goal: 10,000 hectares of tea production transitioned to verified regenerative practices by 2035. "We joined the Regen Tea pilot because we believe that what happens on our hillside in eastern Nepal should not stay on our hillside," explains Nishchal Banskota, founder of the Nepal Tea Collective. "For 45 years, our family has farmed this land without chemicals, without shortcuts, and without a framework to ex- plain why it works. Regen Tea gives us that framework. It gives us the tools to track what we have always practiced intuitively and to share those findings with the wider world." Regen Tea's pilot inquiry questions are deliberately practical: ● What is the measurable ROI for farmers adopting regenerative tea practices? ● Which practices deliver the most impact per unit cost? ● Is there a yield dip during transition, and if so, how large? ● What does the cost-benefit look like year-by-year, and how long is the transition? Why This Matters Beyond the Pilot Nine million smallholder farmers produce 60% of the world's tea. They are among the most exposed to climate risk and the least supported in terms of evidence, finance, and knowledge. The benefits of regenerative practices show up in three places. On farms, smallholders produce higher- quality yields, diversify income streams, and lower their input costs. In the landscape, tea farms grow more biodiverse and more resilient to heat, drought, and inconsistent rainfall. Across the supply chain, buyers gain access to higher-quality, more resilient supplies with verified environmental and social outcomes. If it works in tea, one of the world's most fragmented commodity chains, it can work anywhere. Regen Tea is a nonprofit program developer, not a brand or a buyer. Everything the program builds (the evidence base, the open-access toolkit, the financing pathways) is shaped by the farmers doing the work and shared back for the sector to use. "We hope our participation helps build a body of evidence that supports other small tea gardens in Nepal and beyond, to farm in a way that is good for the land, the people, and the cup," concludes Banskota. Regen Tea's participating pilot farms are actively transitioning to regenerative practices and documenting every step of the process. Photo credit: Regen Tea By Nicky Atkin

• Cover