National Conference on

Safe Tea Production

Policy, Compliance & Sustainable Practices

Days

Hours

Minutes

Days

Hours

Minutes

Supported by

Programme

Event Brochure

Why This Dialogue Matters.

India’s tea industry stands at a pivotal crossroads, balancing growing global expectations for safety, traceability, and sustainable production. As the world’s second-largest producer and the largest consumer of tea, India is witnessing a transformative shift in both policy and practice. The rise of Small Tea Growers (STGs), now contributing nearly 52% of the national production, has created new opportunities across the Northeastern and Southern regions but has also exposed systemic challenges. Many growers have transitioned from diverse cropping systems to monocrop tea cultivation, often without structured agronomic training or access to scientific guidance. Reliance on informal pesticide advice has led to unsafe practices that threaten market access, soil fertility, and water sustainability.

While the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has established Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides, non-compliance remains common due to low awareness and limited field-level support. There is an urgent need to strengthen Integrated Pest Management (IPM), promote safer biocontrol alternatives, and enhance farmer education on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). Despite progress in regulatory frameworks, monitoring, and traceability systems, many smallholders remain beyond institutional outreach. Bridging this divide through capacity building, awareness programs, financial support, and digital tools for compliance is vital to ensuring that India’s tea sector meets food safety standards, protects natural resources, and thrives sustainably amid evolving market demands.

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About the Conference

The National Conference on Safe Tea Production: Policy, Compliance, and Sustainable Practices, organised by the Sankala Foundation with support from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), aims to address one of the most pressing challenges facing India's tea industry: ensuring that every cup of tea produced is safe, compliant, and sustainable. As the world's second-largest producer and largest consumer of tea, India's long-term competitiveness depends on how effectively its production systems integrate food safety, environmental stewardship and social well-being. Small Tea Growers (STGs), who now contribute more than half of national output, remain central to this effort but continue to face constraints in accessing testing infrastructure, scientific guidance and regulatory support. These gaps have implications for soil health, water quality, workers' safety, and consumer trust, making the need for coordinated policy action both urgent and vital.

The conference will feature dialogues on strengthening the national compliance ecosystem, harmonising regulatory frameworks, promoting responsible pesticide management, improving testing and traceability systems, and integrating digital and climate-conscious solutions across the tea value chain.

Conference Objectives

Tea Sector Objectives – Gradient to White

Strengthen Regulatory & Compliance

Support safe tea production and enhance India's global competitiveness through robust regulatory frameworks

Prioritise Short-term Policy Actions

Focus on MRL alignment, pesticide regulation, and equitable access to safe inputs for tea growers

Translate Policy into Practice

Link state-level initiatives with field realities of small tea growers (STGs) and bought leaf factories (BLFs)

Harness Digital Solutions

Implement traceability systems, real-time advisories, and transparent market linkages for the tea sector

Develop Shared Framework

Create capacity-building and information dissemination systems to empower growers with knowledge and sustainable practices

Sessions at the Conference

Session I: Regulatory Frameworks & Policy

India’s tea sector operates within a multi-agency regulatory landscape involving the Tea Board of India, FSSAI, CIB&RC and state oversight bodies.

Over recent years, significant progress has been made in aligning national residue standards with international benchmarks, strengthening traceability systems, and enforcing Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for commonly used pesticides.

The session will explore how these frameworks can be further harmonized to support sustainable production while ensuring compliance with global food safety norms.

Key discussion points include:

Evaluating the effectiveness of current MRL enforcement and lab testing infrastructure.
Strengthening coordination between Tea Board, FSSAI, and CIB&RC on pesticide approvals.
Scaling digital traceability from estate to cup to meet EU and US import requirements.
Learning from global leaders (e.g., Japan, Kenya) in residue management and certification.

The session will bring together regulators, scientists and industry representatives to chart a stronger compliance ecosystem that protects both livelihoods and public health.

Session II: Bridging the Gap – Strengthening the Role of State & Regional Organisations

While national frameworks exist, many Small Tea Growers (STGs) and Bought Leaf Factories (BLFs) continue to face challenges in translating policy into day-to-day practice.

Limited technical capacity, informal advisory networks, and restricted access to safe agricultural inputs often result in non-compliance and unsustainable practices.

This session focuses on closing the policy-to-practice gap through state-led action, institutional support and grower empowerment.

Key discussion points include:

Strengthening state-level extension systems and compliance oversight.
Improving training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Promoting soil health management, clone selection and safer inputs.
Role of industry associations, cooperatives and producer groups in last-mile outreach.
Use of digital tools for advisories, traceability, real-time monitoring and market linkages.
Collaborative pilots for residue reduction and sustainable cultivation models.

The session aims to build practical, scalable pathways ensuring that regulatory reforms meaningfully reach growers on the ground.

Tea Policy Sessions

Session I: Regulatory Frameworks and Policies

India's tea sector operates within a multi-agency regulatory landscape that includes the Tea Board of India, FSSAI, CIB&RC, and state oversight bodies. In recent years, significant progress has been made in aligning national residue standards with international benchmarks, strengthening traceability systems, and enforcing Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for commonly used pesticides.

Though, compliance challenges persist at the field level due to limited coordination between agencies, restricted access to testing infrastructure, and inadequate dissemination of advisories to growers. This session will examine the existing regulatory framework and explore how policy coherence, enforcement, and innovation can enhance safety and sustainability across the tea value chain.

Key discussion areas:

Current regulatory architecture and its implications for safety, market access, and consumer trust
Strengthening enforcement of MRLs and promoting responsible pesticide stewardship
Harmonisation between national standards and global benchmarks.
Policy innovations for climate-conscious and sustainable tea production
Strategies to improve testing, monitoring, and institutional convergence

The session will convene regulators, scientists, and industry leaders to chart a stronger compliance ecosystem that safeguards both livelihoods and public health.

Session II: Bridging the Gap - Strengthening the Role of State and Regional Organisations

While national frameworks are in place, many Small Tea Growers (STGs) and Bought Leaf Factories (BLFs) continue to face barriers in translating policy into everyday practice. Limited technical skills, reliance on unofficial advice, and lack of access to safe farming supplies often lead to non-compliance and unsustainable cultivation methods.

This session focuses on bridging the gap between policy and practice through state-led action, institutional support, and grower empowerment. Regional organisations and collaborative mechanisms play a crucial role in effectively implementing regulatory intent on the ground.

Key discussion areas:

Strengthening state-level extension systems and compliance oversight
Improved training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Promoting soil health management, clone selection, and safer inputs
Role of industry associations, cooperatives and producer groups in last-mile outreach
Use of digital tools for advisories, traceability, real-time monitoring and market linkages
Design collaborative pilots for residue reduction and sustainable cultivation

The session aims to identify practical, scalable models that enable small growers to adopt safe and sustainable practices, ensuring that policy reform translates into meaningful impact in the field.