‘Brewing a crisis’- Climate Change, Darjeeling Tea and Traditional Knowledge: Rethinking Legal Protection beyond Geographical Indications
This study examines how climate change threatens the traditional knowledge and livelihoods of Darjeeling tea communities, arguing that current Geographical Indication protections are insufficient and that stronger Access and Benefit Sharing mechanisms are needed to safeguard these indigenous groups.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In the misty hills of the eastern Himalayas, a specific kind of tea has grown for generations, famous for a unique flavor often described as muscatel, reminiscent of a particular grape. This product, known as Darjeeling tea, is not just a beverage but a cultural treasure tied to the land and the people who have cultivated it for over a century. To protect its name and ensure that only tea grown in this specific region with these specific methods can carry the label, the region secured a Geographical Indication status. Think of this legal tag like a seal of origin that guarantees the product's authenticity and quality, much like a specific type of cheese that can only be called by its name if made in a certain French village. However, the climate that makes this tea special is changing. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events are threatening the very conditions that allow the tea to thrive. This creates a crisis where the legal protection of the brand may no longer be enough to save the livelihoods of the indigenous communities who hold the traditional knowledge required to grow it.
Researchers from the University of Engineering and Management in Kolkata set out to understand the depth of this crisis. They focused their study on eight villages surrounding the Makaibari tea estate, one of the oldest and most iconic gardens in the district. The team interviewed 120 local residents, including tea pluckers, factory workers, and estate managers, to gather their experiences and observations. They combined these personal accounts with long-term weather data and tea production records spanning from 1991 to 2025. The goal was to see how the changing climate was affecting not just the tea bushes, but the people who depend on them, and to evaluate whether current laws were doing enough to protect these communities.
The findings reveal a landscape in distress. The data shows a clear and steady decline in tea production over the last three decades, with output dropping by 62 percent compared to levels seen in 1991. This drop is not because fewer people are planting tea; the land available for cultivation has remained relatively stable. Instead, the decline is driven by the weather. The region is experiencing warmer winters and hotter summers, along with erratic rainfall. These changes have disrupted the delicate cycle of the tea plant. The specific temperature and humidity required to produce the famous first flush of spring tea are becoming harder to achieve. When the seasons shift, the tea bushes struggle, leading to shorter harvesting periods and leaves that are more susceptible to pests and diseases. The researchers noted that the unique aroma and flavor, the very qualities that make Darjeeling tea valuable, are being compromised by these environmental stresses.
The human cost of these environmental shifts is severe. The study found that the economic benefits of the tea trade are not reaching the workers who actually harvest the leaves. Despite the global fame of the product, the daily wages for tea pluckers have remained stagnant at around 252 rupees, a sum that falls short of a living wage. The workforce is shrinking rapidly, with a 40 to 50 percent reduction in the number of women workers in recent years. Many young people are leaving the hills for other jobs, particularly in tourism, because the uncertainty of climate change and the lack of financial incentives make tea farming an unreliable path. The researchers observed that the traditional knowledge held by these communities—how to manage the soil, when to prune, and how to process the leaves—is being eroded as the older generation retires and the younger generation moves away.
A critical part of the paper challenges the idea that the current Geographical Indication status is sufficient protection. While the GI tag has helped maintain the tea's reputation in international markets, the authors argue it has failed to deliver tangible economic security to the local people. The legal framework protects the name of the product, but it does not guarantee that the profits from that name are shared fairly with the indigenous communities who created and maintain the tradition. The study highlights that the current system of Access and Benefit Sharing, which is meant to ensure that communities receive a fair return for their genetic resources and knowledge, is not working effectively in this context. The benefits are often unclear, and the implementation is weak, leaving the workers vulnerable to the very climate changes that are destroying their crops.
The researchers suggest that protecting Darjeeling tea requires more than just a legal label; it demands a new approach that integrates climate resilience with social justice. They point out that the traditional methods used in these gardens, which often involve organic practices and working with the forest ecosystem, are actually well-suited for building resilience against climate shocks. However, these methods need support. The paper calls for specific legislation that recognizes the rights of indigenous people to their traditional knowledge and ensures they receive direct financial and non-financial benefits. This could include sharing research findings with the local community, providing training in new climate-adapted techniques, and ensuring that funds from the tea trade are used to improve the lives of the workers. Without these changes, the unique flavor of Darjeeling tea may disappear, not just because the climate is changing, but because the people who know how to grow it are being forced to leave. The study concludes that scientific innovation and strong legal protections must work together to safeguard both the genetic resource of the tea plant and the cultural heritage of the people who have nurtured it for generations.
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