With the Forest Friendly Tea project, we bring to all Tea Shop stores in Europe a selection of teas harvested within a program that, in addition to being sustainable, aims to prevent the clearing of forests where these varieties originate, and also to support local economies.
Thanks to this project, we can grow tea while protecting our forests, preserving biodiversity, tackling climate change and providing sustainable income to local communities.
Before China started marketing tea and establishing cultivation systems, the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, grew completely wild in the mountain range surrounding Assam (India), Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Yunnan (China).
The population of these countries used the Camellia leaves for different medicinal purposes at that time. The Camellia (the tea plant) is currently grown in large plantations for mass production.
The Forest Friendly Teas, available in all Tea Shop stores in Spain, Italy and Portugal, are harvested in wild areas, where Camellia originates and grows naturally, respecting biodiversity and preserving the forest.
This factor contributes to making the quality and taste of the tea unique, as it comes from a wild plant, growing in harmony with the forest, in a natural and ecological habitat, integrated into biodiversity, and harvested with a sustainable method.
As Forest Friendly Teas are hand-picked and elaborated by the local people, this scheme also provides work to the native population.
Discover the Forest Friendly Tea Project in Thailand in the following video.