Journal / Tea Education

Direct Trade Tea & Botanicals

Direct Trade Tea & Botanicals

At Rishi Tea & Botanicals we set our own progressive standards for ethical trade and direct sourcing. Like wine, many teas come from heritage gardens with a storied legacy. This is not like purchasing a bulk commodity on the international market. 

Date:

November 15, 2023

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Rishi Tea

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At Rishi Tea & Botanicals we set our own progressive standards for ethical trade and direct sourcing. Like wine, many teas come from heritage gardens with a storied legacy. This is not like purchasing a bulk commodity on the international market. The farmers we work with are able to fetch a premium price product is consumed almost wholly in their home country. Less than 2% of the global tea production meets the quality and the provenance that we import.

The farmers we work with recognize that in following elevated agricultural and production standards they will receive a long-term, committed partnership from us. Our buyers travel to origin during each growing season to meet with the farmers, taste the fresh crop, and work together in the fields to achieve our desired flavor profiles. The tea and botanicals you love from Rishi are the result of these authentic, trusting partnerships built up over years of renewed business together.

Why Direct Trade?

Our practice of direct trade is not romance or marketing gimmick. Throughout the year Rishi buyers travel to origin to meet with farmers, taste the fresh crop and work together in the fields. In some cases, we collaborate to create new styles of tea. By cutting out the middlemen we can leave 100% of the price paid for crops on the table of the growers who worked to bring that product to us. The high quality teas and innovative blends we create are the result of these authentic, trusting partnerships built up over years of renewed business together.

We pay 5-10x the commodity prices for our teas and herbs to incentivize growers to focus their efforts on sustainable harvests of amazing organic quality. We recognize that high grade teas and herbs can only come from farmers that are passionate about their crops. By paying farmers equitable and beyond sustainable prices for their hard work and dedication to quality we ensure the best and freshest teas and herbs.

We help co-ops and farmers all over the world export according to USDA food safety and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) regulations so they can join our network and supply chain. By doing this we get the best products from remote areas that don’t typically have access to the food safety inspection and certifications needed to supply us in the USA. This dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship is what makes every offering, from loose leaf blends and chai concentrates to Sparkling Botanicals, the absolute pinnacle of quality and innovation.

Direct Trade Impacts

  1. Provides higher prices to small-holders and co-op farmers for high quality and innovations
  2. Supports organic agriculture in heritage tea regions
  3. Connects hundreds of small families to the organic tea market in the USA through Rishi supply chain and network
  4. Imparts major support for developing tea origins of Thailand and Laos
  5. Grants our American audience access to Gran Cru, top quality teas and premium botanicals made by famous artisans
  6. Consumers get the freshest taste and knowledge of origin and harvest

Origins & Travel

Explore the world through our articles and travelogues from trips off the beaten path, visiting tea gardens and organic farms that we source from.

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