Improving the producers’ lives every day

« This is an aim we share with TPI, our partner in India since 1994 and in this 20th year of Fair Trade Fortnight we look back with them on the major achievements of 2019 in the tea gardens of Darjeeling, Assam and Dooars which supply us with teas throughout the year.

Flagship projects: making feminine hygiene accessible to everyone and improving sanitation.

A long-standing partner

TPI is one of Jardins de Gaïa’s most significant long-term partners. The meeting between its founder, Brij Mohan, and Arlette Rohmer, founder of Jardins de Gaïa, was one of the starting points for the development of organic fair trade tea from India in France. Promoting sustainable and human development, and maintaining the right balance between mankind and nature, are values that together they have been putting into action since 1994.

Making feminine hygiene and care available to all

A tea picker in the Chardawar Tea Garden (Assam region)Last year we worked with local charities to educate women about hygiene issues related to menstruation. The goal was to change the mentality of women, but also of men, and to bring an end to the physical separation imposed by the ancient tradition of Chaaupadi. We ran a menstrual hygiene pilot project in Darjeeling and at the end of 2019 the project was successfully launched across all our tea gardens and small farmer cooperatives in Darjeeling and Assam. We regularly organise workshops with communities and distribute environmentally friendly sanitary products free of charge to all the women.

Improving sanitation despite the water shortage

Unsafe sanitation was becoming a real worry for a lot of our tea workers. There was a big discrepancy in the effective treatment of sanitation waste. With water shortages becoming only too real in Darjeeling and Assam, it was not viable to build conventional toilets.

We worked with a leading NGO in India called Garv Toilets (www.garvtoilets.com) which specialises in building communal toilet facilities. We launched a pilot project in Assam where we built and installed prefabricated modular toilets made entirely of stainless steel with an underground organic digester tank.

The project has been running successfully for a number of months now and our aim in the coming years is to ensure that all members of our community have access to sustainable water and sanitation facilities at their workplace.

Future projects: the transition to renewable energy

2019 was a good year for building new foundations and partnerships for the future. The global climate crisis and the recent Covid-19 pandemic are a reminder that it is high time we find new ways to reconnect to the world we live in.

We are focusing our efforts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping our communities fight climate change. We are now working towards a 100% transition to renewable energy. As part of this initiative, all of our villages are now equipped with solar lighting. We are striving to work for a future where we will find sustainable solutions for environmental and social change in our communities. It is a long and difficult road, but we are grateful to have the full support of our partners on this journey. »

Reports by TPI