We’re pleased to support organic farming at English Tea Shop; it means we can ensure the best quality ingredients for our blends and help protect the planet at the same time.
You probably know that growing organic crops means avoiding chemical pesticides and fertilisers, but you may not realise the system is as much about what farmers put in as what they leave out.
We help our farmer partners in Sri Lanka learn more about creating the best possible growing conditions for their organic tea crops. It’s part of our broader sustainability efforts to support biodiversity and empower our farmers.
The importance of healthy soil
Soil is a mixture of minerals (tiny rock particles) and organic matter (dead and living plants and creatures) it also contains gases, water, and micro-organisms. It is important for recycling nutrients, water purification and carbon exchange.
The foundation of every organic farm is healthy, living soil. It’s more than a growing medium; it is a dynamic ecosystem that governs productivity, resilience, and long-term sustainability.
Healthy organic soils have:
• Higher organic matter (i.e. living and decomposing) content – which improves nutrient availability and long-term fertility for plants.
• A stronger structure – enhancing water retention and reducing erosion.
• Greater microbial diversity – supporting nutrient cycling and natural pest-suppression.
• Improved carbon sequestration (capture and storage) – contributing to climate resilience.
• Better texture and nutrients for root development – enabling stronger, more resilient crops.
Agricultural crops take nutrients from the soil. It is vital these are replenished between harvests so that good levels of bacteria, fungi and worms are present. This could mean adding organic matter, using mulch to retain water and suppress weeds, minimising ploughing, crop rotation and using cover crops to prevent erosion.
Supporting tea farmers
We support our farmers by providing technical guidance, soil stewardship practices, and other knowledge-sharing to help them strengthen the ecological foundation of their fields. We also contribute to the cost of organic certification and equipment.
The farmers we work with develop the tools to not only enhance the health of their soil but also build climate adaptive systems. We want to ensure their organic lands can thrive for generations to come.
Moving to an organic system in 2010 exempted us from the Sri Lanka tea auction system, meaning we could build direct and long-lasting relationships with our farmers and pay them a fair price above that set by the market.
It’s all part to our ongoing sustainability and CSV (Creating Shared Value) commitment through which we strive for economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Since the beginning we have honoured the living soil: the quiet engine behind every organic harvest and every meaningful step toward a healthier planet.