Artjom: Tea compared to wine: classification

There is a dramatic lack of respect for quality and tradition in both the worlds of tea trading and tea consumption like they have had for wine. This self-respect and culture were instrumental for the evolvement of the trade-consumer structure we see in wine today. Western powers in the tea trade are trying to obscure facts and quality so as to continue to maximize their margins in using poor grades and maintaining their control of low cost labour. On the other side of the world there is obscenely insane in-fights within tea production regions, all trying to either be the big brother, or to take advantage of the present state of confusion. Those who are not in this fight are either too busy to survive or too lazy/short-sighted to change the status quo.

I am not optimistic about the standardization of tea labeling. Tracing the history of what you have done, Leo, I have great respect for your influence, but the tea world is controlled largely by people who like profiteering by means of lies, gimmicks and exaggerations, the use of realistic labeling will show the truth to the consumers the low quality nature of many high margin products. Many people with power would not want this to happen.

The condition you described is real and it is rather like moving a mountain for me. However, I believe eventually it will be a lot of people with the same belief as mine and this mountain won’t seem so immoveable. I hope you will join in.