By Burnett Munthali
Trust Africa, an organization dedicated to promoting fair value distribution in the tea sector, has reiterated the crop’s significant potential to generate foreign exchange and secure jobs across African countries. This was highlighted in a presentation delivered by the organization at the 6th African Tea Convention and Exhibition, currently underway in Kigali, Rwanda.
The convention, which has attracted tea trade associations from Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, and Mozambique, has been supported by Trust Africa to foster collaboration and discussions on key issues facing the tea industry.
In its presentation, Trust Africa emphasized the urgent need to secure conditions that can sustain meaningful and profitable participation of smallholder farmers in the tea trade, many of whom are women. The organization stressed the importance of ensuring that these producers receive fair value for their produce and highlighted the need for improved access and control over land, as well as safe and legal working conditions.
“For the continent to realize more from tea trade, we need to ensure that the producers, a majority of which are women, receive fair value for their produce, apart from ensuring that they have improved access and control over land and are working under legal and safe conditions,” the presentation noted.
The ongoing conference, held under the theme “Harmony in a cup: promoting tea for people and planet,” has brought together tea trade associations from East and Southern Africa to discuss how the tea sector can drive socio-economic development, while also focusing on sustainability and fair practices.
The African tea industry plays a pivotal role in the economies of several countries, and Trust Africa’s focus on fair value distribution aims to ensure that both large and small producers benefit from the growing global demand for tea. By advocating for improved conditions and equitable participation, the organization seeks to create a more inclusive and profitable tea trade across the continent.
