For those who want to look beyond their cup of tea, to find out a little more about where it came from, welcome to the world of tea farming in Kenya. This is a region of outstanding natural beauty, fertile for cultivation, but also at great risk of over-exploitation.
As tea farmers, we are more aware than most of the delicate balance that must be struck between running a modern and profitable business for the benefit of its communities, and of conserving the natural resources of the region for future generations. Williamson Tea is committed to creating a truly sustainable future for our farms. Here are a just a few examples of what we do...
Low Emissions
In many ways, tea farming is inherently environmentally friendly. The tea bush is an evergreen crop, which can be harvested successfully for decades. Our staff live on the farms, and therefore don't have to commute to work. Tea plucking is also still mainly done by hand. We plant our own trees in order to use them for timber, so that we do not harm the surrounding forests, and aside from electricity, we have no use for fossil fuels in our factories. Here at Williamson Tea, we also set aside special wetlands areas, which contain reed beds for treatment of waste.
Responsible Farming
Williamson Tea has been involved in Kenya for over half a century, and we are very conscious that we are merely stewards of the land for future generations. For us, the idea of sustainable farming is simply common sense, whether it be ensuring that we plant grassland around our farms to help prevent soil erosion, or the protection of rivers and natural water courses which flow through the tea gardens. We always set aside areas for replanting for a minimum of two years to ensure that the nutrients in the soil are replaced naturally, and we never use pesticides.
Wildlife Preservation
The sights and sounds on an African tea farm are often quite inspiring. Not for us are the huge expanses of arable farmland as far as the eye can see. We have always shared our farms with the local wildlife, such as the blue turaco which lives in and around Kaimosi, or the casqued hornbills whose evening call signals the sunset on Tinderet. Our closest friend is the colobus monkey – they are often seen around the farm, and we have created special “corridors” for them, so that they can cross the tea gardens safely, from one side of the forest to the other.
