Abstract: Organic tea farming represents a holistic and environmentally sound alternative to conventional tea cultivation. With rising concerns over soil degradation, chemical residues in food products, climate change, and biodiversity loss, organic agriculture has emerged as a sustainable and consumer-driven approach to crop production. Tea, being a globally consumed beverage and a significant export commodity for many countries including India, has gained momentum in the organic movement. This research explores the key practices, environmental benefits, economic implications, and sustainability metrics of organic tea farming systems. It provides a comparative analysis of organic versus conventional tea yields over a five-year period and examines the role of organic practices in conserving soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience. While acknowledging the initial challenges faced during the conversion to organic farming, the study highlights the long-term gains in sustainability, consumer health, and farmer livelihoods. The paper also suggests policy interventions and support mechanisms necessary to scale up organic tea production globally. The findings underscore organic tea farming not just as a cultivation technique but as a strategic pillar of sustainable plantation agriculture in the 21st century.
Keywords: Organic, Degradation, Residue, Climate change, Biodiversity, Commodity
Author: Rokib Ahmed, Garvita Jaiswal and Deepshikha Thakur
doi: https://doie.org/10.10346/AE.2025576335
Reference: 1. Tea Board of India (2023). Annual Report on Organic Tea Production. 2. FAO (2022). Organic Agriculture: Sustainability, Markets and Policies. 3. Bhattacharya, P. and Chakraborty, G. (2021). Organic Tea Cultivation in Darjeeling: A Case Study. 4. Sharma, A. et al. (2020). Impact of Organic Farming on Tea Yield and Soil Health. Indian Journal of Agronomy. 5. International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Principles of Organic Agriculture.
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