Tata Global Beverages, Hindustan Unilever progress sustainable initiatives for tea industry

Tata Group Companies’ Sustainable Plant Protection Formulation (SPPF) project is an initiative to develop ecological solutions for plant protection in tea and Unilever’s CABI project will initiate scientific research and review crop protection practices, as progressive steps towards a sustained eco-friendly tea industry.

Siddharth, Chairman, Tea Board of India, said, “The Tea Board of India is committed to providing safe and quality teas to consumers. We work closely with stakeholders in promoting sustainable agronomic practices in line with global best practices. The future of tea industry requires new knowledge and expertise in the areas of R&D, technology and the industry is united in looking to deliver this. The Tea Board is supportive of the initiatives taken by Tata Global Beverages and Hindustan Unilever and we welcome the synergies and learning this will bring to the industry.”

Hindustan Unilever has announced that it will be initiating a major scientific research study to evaluate the environmental and economic feasibility of applying biological or non-pesticide methods for plant protection of tea crops in India.

Hindustan Unilever has commissioned CABI (formerly Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International), to conduct this research project. CABI is an inter-governmental, not-for-profit organisation focused on improving people's lives by applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment.

CABI will review existing practices of crop protection and the limitations of current techniques in India. In cooperation with the Tea Board of India, the Tea Research Institutes and key industry partners, CABI will then design protocols for pilot field-trials aimed at investigating novel approaches for biological, non-pesticide management of pests aiming at a holistic rejuvenation of the eco system, which will feed into field-trials, run in partnership with the Tea Board and tea growers.

In parallel, the Project ‘Sustainable Plant Protection Formulation’ (SPPF) is an initiative between three Tata Companies to develop and use ecological solutions for plant protection in tea.  This is an initiative between Tata Chemicals, Tata Global Beverages and Rallis.

The objective of the project is to develop commercially viable portfolio of SPPF s for tea and will strive to find ecologically friendly solutions to pest management in Indian tea gardens.

While Tata Chemicals’ Innovation Centre will support in research, formulation, optimization and final product development, Rallis will conduct field trials and scientific assessment and provide package of practices (POP).

Field trials will take place in Tata Global Beverages’ associate plantation companies APPL located in North East India and KDHP located in South India. In APPL, the Hathikuli estate has already been using ecological methods of pest management for the past three years.

Results of the field trials of SPPF will be shared with the industry in collaboration with Tea Board and Tea Research Associations. While this project is being initiated for tea crops, it has the potential to be expanded and deployed for other crops.

Hindustan Unilever and Tata Global Beverages are committed to working closely with the Tea Board of India and Tea Research Institute on these initiatives and sharing the learning with the broader industry body.

The Tea Board places utmost significance on the industry’s journey towards sustainable agricultural practices. The Tea Board has already initiated several efforts in this regard, working with tea research institutes, private industry, and international certification bodies to develop programmes that are founded on the sustainable use of plant protection products in the Indian tea growth, harvesting, and packaging processes.