Raising awareness for the competetive advantage of organic farming

Tobias Bandel attended the Low Carbon Organic Tea Symposium in Guangyuan, China from the 7th 8th of June 2011 where he presented to about 300 tea experts from private, public and academic background the competitive advantage of organic farming regarding climate change and water management. The participants mainly from China but also from India, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, Sri Lanca, Germany and UK all confirmed that healthy soils and sustainable water consumption and management are critical for the long-term success of China’s fast growing tea sector. Based on his experience from India and Kenya, Tobias main focus was on using farmyard biomass such as pruning materials from the tea bushes and cow manure to produce compost, which sequesters carbon, lowers the tea’s carbon footprint, saves water and boosts productivity. A follow-up visit for a first pilot project was agreed upon and is planned for the second half of 2011.