Tea is the most popular beverage in the world after water. The tea sector has exceptional importance for the rural economy of producing countries, and is a crucial contributor to the achievement of internationally agreed sustainable development goals (SDGs), in particular with respect to poverty eradication. However, constant fall in tea prices in real terms, rapidly falling quality of tea consumed, pose challenges for the sustainability of the industry. Such situation required a commonly coordinated approach of world’s biggest producer and consumer of black and green tea. Towards this end, Solidaridad seeks to bring together key tea industry stakeholders of Asia on a single platform with the objective of synergising tea policies in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of high-quality sustainable tea to consumers, improved living and working conditions of tea workers and a fair return for tea producers. It is now increasingly clear that Asian tea industry stakeholders needs to join hands outside the scope of compliance driven certification framework in order to jointly find solutions for sustainable development of the tea sector.
In pursuance to its organizational goals in the arena of advocacy Solidaridad Asia, in 2016, initiated efforts to create a national and regional platform took the first steps towards creating an Asian consensus on sustainable development of tea sector. With the objective of strengthening the national platforms Solidaridad entered into MoU with Indian Tea Association (ITA) and United Planters Association of India (UPASI). Collectively, the associations represent all major tea producers in India. In addition, UPASI also represents packers, research organizations and tea brokers. For China, Solidaridad entered into cooperation with China Tea Marketing Association (CTMA). The China Tea Marketing Association (CTMA) was founded in 1992 and is a national organization comprising enterprises, institutions, social groups and individuals in the tea production, processing, operation, management, research and teaching fields. CTMA is under the guidance and supervision of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives and the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China. An MoU was signed between these three organizations to strengthen friendship and collaboration for sustainable development of the tea sector. Solidaridad is the sustainability partner in this collaboration. In subsequent discussions, it was agreed that a high-powered Core Group would be formed in order to develop clear road map and set milestones in order to achieve the vision set in the MoU.
In the subsequent phase of the journey in creation of the national and regional platform, the Indonesia Tea Marketing Association (ITMA) joined the alliance in December, 2018.
The CTMA thereafter initiated the next steps to invite the Sri Lanka Tea Board & the Central Tea Association of Japan for their presence and participation in the Asia Tea Alliance. With the support from Dr. Shatadru Chattopadhayay, the MD of Solidaridad Asia, Rusong Li, the Solidaridad China Country Manager, and Ranjan Circar, the Solidaridad IPC for Tea, successfully coordinated the discussion and negotiation among five countries to reach consensus. This culminated in the ground breaking and historic signing of the MoU of the Asia Tea Alliance at a grand event that took place in Guizhou Province, Zunyi City, on the 19th of April, 2019. The signatories of the MoU were the CTMA, the ITA, the ITMA, the Sri Lanka Tea Board and the Central Tea Association of Japan. It is proposed that the alliance be further enhanced to include other major tea producing countries of Asia such as Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Given below is a chronology of events leading to the formation of the Asia Tea Alliance:
- 2016.4.20: UPASI visits Zunyi, Meitan County, and signs the MoU with CTMA;
- 2016.6.24: Board members of UPASI participate in the tea expo in Beijing and visit tea industry in Zhejiang province;
- 2016.9.22: CTMA participates in the India International Tea Conference in Ooty, Nilgiris;
- 2017.8.16: CTMA visits ITA and proposes the Asian Consensus for the tea sector in Asia;
- 2018.12.12: CTMA visits ITA and signs the MoU with ITA;
- 2018.12.18: CTMA visits ITMA and signs the MoU with ITMA; thereafter, CTMA, ITA and ITMA sign a tripartite MoU at Jakarta, Indonesia;
- 2019.04.19: CTMA invites the ITA, ITMA, Sri Lanka Tea Board & Central Tea Association of Japan to Guizhou Province, Zunyi, to sign & announce the Asia Tea Alliance Declaration
It was agreed that the Secretariat of the Alliance should be guided by a Core Committee comprising representation from the following bodies:
- CTMA 2 persons each
- ITA 2 persons each
- ITMA 2 persons each
- Solidaridad Asia 2 persons each
- Sri Lanka Tea Board 2 persons each
- Central Tea Association of Japan 2 persons each
Sri Lanka Tea BoardThe Core Group will decide on all the key issues regarding the functioning of the Asia Tea Alliance. With regard to participation of new organizations, the Core Group may constitute an advisory group called the “Tea Working Group” for enlisting organizations as invitees/observers/members from outside Asia. Such organizations could include Tea Boards, Research Institutions, government representatives, tea producers, tea exporters and packers, tea machinery manufacturers and sustainability experts.
The Asia Tea Alliance would work together towards achieving the following broad objectives:
- Strengthen friendship
- Trade promotion
- Technology exchange
- Promote sustainable development of the tea sector
At the minimum the Core Group would meet once a year in person and each meeting would be organised alternatively by the member organizations in a manner deemed appropriate. While Solidaridad would play the role of the coordinating agency, the Chair for the Core Group would be shared among the participating organizations, i.e., CTMA, ITA, ITMA, Sri Lanka Tea Board & Central Tea Association of Japan.
Solidaridad Asia will now initiate the formation of:
- The secretariat in China under the Chairmanship of Mr. Wang Qing, President of the CTMA with representative of the ITA and others as Deputy Chairman
- Create the document that lays down the rules for managing the Secretariat
Solidaridad Asia 
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