Alternative Approaches webinar series

April 18, 2025

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THIRST

Makaibari Tea Factory. Photo: Teekampagne

Webinar series: Alternative Approaches in the tea sector

In 2024, THIRST published a report on Alternative Approaches in the tea sector. The report shares thirteen case studies of non-traditional business models and trading systems that have the potential to make the tea industry fairer for all. Each initiative has been assessed against the issues identified in THIRST’s Root Causes Analysis of Human Rights breaches in the tea sector and how they address them.

Throughout 2025 we brought these case studies to life with a series of webinars presented by the very people who are putting those alternative approaches into practice. Recordings of each webinar are now available on the THIRST Knowledge Hub.

More about alternative approaches

Watch the webinars

Topic	Speaker	Webinar link
Democratising plantations through community development forums	Vindhya Fernando, Chrysalis	Watch the webinar
Farmers taking control of the tea value chain	J John, Grassroots Tea Corporation	Watch the webinar
From closed estate to thriving cooperative	Sailesh Sharma, DLR Prerna/Mineral Springs	Watch the webinar
A transparent, purpose-driven trading model	Dr Kathrin Gassert, Teekampagne	Watch the webinar
Enhancing smallholders’ lives through value-added tea	Simon Nihal Bell, AMBA/Ceylon Artisanal Tea Association	Watch the webinar
Strengthening smallholder tea farmers through block farming	Filbert Kavia, Transform Trade/THIRST	Watch the webinar
Purpose-driven, vertically integrated speciality tea	Tahira Nizari, Kazi Yetu	Watch the webinar
The power of buying tea responsibly	Suzy Garraghan and Frank Tanner, Bettys & Taylors	Watch the webinar
Tackling price volatility through TeaSwaps	James Montlake	Watch the webinar
A national agency strengthens smallholders’ power	Sudi Matara, KTDA	Watch the webinar