The United States is not currently a hotbed for tea, compared to say,
England, but the market for tea in the U.S. is growing in small pockets
throughout the country in the form of tea houses and premium tea and
coffee shops. One entrepreneur, in particular, has cornered the organic,
fair trade tea market in the U.S. and that is none other than Joshua Kaiser of Rishi Tea.
I caught up with Joshua and his friend Wang Geda, the founder of one of
China’s only organic, fair-trade tea companies, Yi Select, at the Hong Kong International Tea Fair.
Kaiser shares his reflections on carving out a niche market in tea and
what it's like to pioneer organic, fair trade tea in the motherland of
tea, China.
Of organic tea, Kaiser says, "In America, it's the fastest growing section of the tea industry." But the United States is not the only one demanding progressive teas from organic and fair trade farms. "The market for organic tea is emerging in Asia at a very rapid rate. When we look at the young market, the young consumers in Asia in Hong Kong, Singapore, and all over Southeast Asia, we see a trend for organic, green tea and some emerging awareness of fair trade."
To read the full, original article click on this link: Innovation in China's Tea Industry | Fast Company
Author: Jenara Nerenberg
