Regenagri certification to be introduced in India’s tea sector

Kolkata: Regenagri, an extensive certification standard in regenerative agriculture, will be introduced in India in the tea sector on Nov 15. Solidaridad Network Asia and the Indian Tea Association (ITA) have joined hands to bring Regenagri in the country, which has the potential to generate over Rs 200 crore of carbon credit every year in the future.In ITA's AGM last week, the association's chairman Hemant Bangur said that the average cost of production of tea exceeded the retail price and carbon credit could help the industry. The tea sector has been reeling under losses.Solidaridad Asia MD Shatadru Chattopadhyay said that the organization aimed to cover one lakh hectares of tea gardens to be certified in the next three years and include 4 lakh hectares by 2030. "We are starting the process shortly in tea gardens of Darjeeling and Assam. It will be rolled out in six tea gardens which are members of ITA," he added. It is learnt that Luxmi Tea and Rossell Tea will be part of the initial roll-out. Carbon credit is worth Rs 3,400-3,600 per tonne of carbon dioxide emission reduced, and per hectare, carbon credit worth around 1-2 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent can be generated, Chattopadhyay said."This initiative brings a three-pronged advantage. While Regenagri framework promises to improve the resilience of plantations to withstand climate impacts, it also opens the door for Indian tea estates to generate valuable carbon credit through insetting and offsetting. Additionally, it positions Indian tea estates to meet European Green Regulations like the EU deforestation regulation, ensuring continued access to the crucial EU market," Chattopadhyay said, arguing that regenerative agriculture will mitigate the impact of climate change.United Planters' Association of Southern India (UPASI), the representative body for south Indian tea, has also evinced interest in tying up with Solidaridad for Regenagri, the MD said.
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