Southern Yunnan Tea Mountains

The mountains of southern China’s Yunnan province rise majestically from deep canyons and valleys carved by ancient rivers. It is a region of high highs and deep lows, home to the most extensive biodiversity and most natural resources in China, where the richness of the land contrasts sharply with the poverty in hillside villages dotting the landscape. It is the most ethnically diverse province, with 25 of the country’s 56 recognized ethnic groups calling it home, but also the poorest, having more poverty-stricken counties than any other province. It is in the mountains of Yunnan where 220 families in Mannong and Manmai villages cultivate Fair Trade Certified tea.

These villages sit atop Hekai Tea Mountain, one of the oldest tea producing regions on the planet. Despite this ancient tea culture and tradition, the area has historically struggled with entrenched poverty and underdevelopment. Water was gathered from muddy creek beds, the children of the village weren’t able to attend school, there was no sewage system in place. In 2004, the Mannong Manmai Ancient Tea Association was founded with the hope of improving their living conditions. The tea association became Fair Trade Certified in 2007, and immediately things began to change. Since 2008, 16 miles of water pipes have gone up, bringing fresh, clean water to the village from a high mountain spring. Fair Trade premium funds have been used to pay for school tuition, room and board, and have even sent some children off to college. Several bathrooms have been built, improving the sanitary conditions of the village...

[Continue reading this article at the Fair Trade Certified Blog]