teab

Teab is a term used in discussions of sustainable agriculture to denote a decentralized network of smallholder tea producers and consumer cooperatives that emphasizes transparency, fair pricing, and environmental stewardship. The approach blends traditional tea cultivation with modern cooperative governance and data-sharing practices.

Origins and scope: Teab emerged in the late 1990s in the foothills of the fictional region of Neldor, drawing on global fair-trade ideas. It has since expanded to multiple networks across temperate and tropical tea regions, with regional cooperatives coordinating production, quality control, and trade.

Structure and governance: Membership is voluntary for farmers; decisions are made by regional councils through consensus or majority vote; activities are supported by an open information portal that tracks inputs, yields, certifications, and prices.

Production and practices: Teab favors shade-grown, organic or biodynamic methods, and transparent pricing. Quality is defined by standardized cupping scores and traceable origin information.

Economy and social impact: The model aims to improve livelihood security for smallholders, stabilize incomes, and reduce environmental harm. Critics point to the costs of certification and potential coordination challenges across diverse regions.

Cultural aspects: Teab networks encourage communal processing, cooperative investments in processing facilities, and consumer-facing transparency initiatives. See also: fair trade, agroforestry, cooperatives.