Quality-Led Firmness Masks Uneven Auction Liquidity | Tea markets closed ISO Week 35 with headline support intact, but quality mattered more than volume. Buyers remained disciplined, closely tying bids to immediate blending needs.

Colombo was buoyant overall, led by low-grown leafy teas and selected better high- and mid-grown descriptions. Mombasa improved at the headline level, though incomplete clearance revealed uneven demand. North India drew good participation, but plainer Assam teas, orthodox descriptions, and dusts met resistance; South India was fair during a holiday-affected week. Indonesia saw slow demand, with selective firmness for scarce West Java lines.

In Colombo, prices averaged $3.70/kg this week, up $0.07/kg vs the previous sale’s reconstructed $3.63/kg benchmark.

In North India, prices averaged $2.33/kg this week, down $0.06/kg vs the last available official benchmark of $2.39/kg for the week ending 15 August.

In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.21/kg this week, up $0.03/kg vs Sale 33’s $2.18/kg benchmark.

In Indonesia, prices averaged $1.12/kg this week, up $0.01/kg vs the prior indicative Week 34 benchmark of $1.11/kg. | Podlink sign-up: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Behind the Cup: Why Quality Tea Needs a Better Business Model | Social and environmental conditions behind tea production remain far less scrutinized than those of coffee or cocoa.

In this Tea Biz Spotlight, I speak with Ecological Economist Pierre William Johnson, author of the French-language Thé: l’envers de la tasse — Tea: Behind the Cup. Pierre’s central argument is not that the tea trade should be made to feel guilty. Rather, it is that quality, economic viability, social justice, and environmental resilience are interconnected — and that a higher-priced tea is not necessarily more equitable.

His research examines the structures that determine how tea is grown, processed, traded, and valued.

We discuss why quality premiums do not necessarily reach workers or smallholders; what happens inside the processing “black box” between green leaf and finished tea; how plantation systems might evolve without abandoning workers; why monoculture creates both business and environmental risks; and what tea companies should change first to build stronger relationships with producers.

BIO: Pierre William Johnson specializes in ecological economics and the sustainable development of agricultural and artisanal value chains. His research focuses on tea-producing regions in Asia and East Africa. His latest book examines labor relations, trade structures, producer organization, environmental pressures, and value distribution across the tea sector. | Podlink sign-up: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Nepal Tea Enters Recovery Mode | India Puts Tea Under Satellite Surveillance | Vale Bets on US-Grown Matcha | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Nepal Tea Enters Recovery Mode | India Puts Tea Under Satellite Surveillance | Vale Bets on US-Grown Matcha

NEWSMAKER – Author and Ecological Economist Pierre William Johnson

PLUS |Behind the Cup: Why Quality Tea Needs a Better Business Model

Social and environmental conditions behind tea production remain far less scrutinized than those for coffee or cocoa.

In this Tea Biz Spotlight, Ecological Economist Pierre William Johnson, author of the French-language Thé: l’envers de la tasse — Tea: Behind the Cup — examines the structures that shape how tea is grown, processed, traded, and valued. We discuss why paying more for quality does not necessarily translate into higher income for workers or smallholders; how colonial-era plantation systems continue to shape wages and working conditions; why monoculture poses both economic and environmental risks; and whether producer organization, agroforestry, stronger quality incentives, and shorter value chains can lead to a fairer distribution of value. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Quality Holds as Regional Tea Prices Diverge | Tea markets closed ISO Week 32 with mixed headline prices but a consistent trading pattern: buyers remained active for immediate coverage and continued to reserve their strongest bids for clean, well-made teas.| In Colombo, prices averaged $3.58 per kilo, up 3 cents versus the reconstructed Week 31 benchmark. | In North India, prices averaged $2.37 per kilo, down 4 cents versus the last available official average for Week 31. In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.14 per kilo, up 2 cents versus Sale 29. In Indonesia, prices averaged $2.39 per kilo, down 2 cents versus the prior indicative Week 31 benchmark. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Taste the World of Tea in Seattle | The 16th edition of the Northwest Tea Fest returns to Seattle Center September 26–27 with a sold-out exhibitor hall and a deliberately broad view of the tea world. Visitors can taste teas from major origins, speak directly with the people who source and sell them, attend presentations and workshops, and explore teaware and tea culture under one roof.

Virginia Wright, Executive Director of the Northwest Tea Festival, and Festival Coordinator and Puget Sound Tea Education Association Board President Andrew Goodman are in the SPOTLIGHT to explain what makes this year’s gathering distinctive, how first-time visitors can approach dozens of choices without feeling overwhelmed, and why longtime attendees treat the festival as both an educational experience and an annual reunion.

The Northwest Tea Festival is presented by the nonprofit Puget Sound Tea Education Association. The association’s mission focuses on tea education, community, and broader public engagement with tea culture. Last year’s festival attracted approximately 4,000 tea enthusiasts to the Seattle Center.| Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Typhoon Deluges South China’s Tea Lands | Floods Halt Production at 30 Assam Tea Gardens | Argentina Moves Its GI-Protected Tea Origin to Market

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Typhoon Deluges South China’s Tea Lands | Floods Halt Production at 30 Assam Tea Gardens | Argentina Moves Its GI-Protected Tea Origin to Market

NEWSMAKERS | Festival Coordinator Andrew Goodman and Puget Sound Tea Education Association President Virginia Wright

PLUS | A World of Tea Comes to Seattle | Festival organizers Andrew Goodman and Virginia Wright preview the 2026 Northwest Tea Festival, September 26–27 at Seattle Center, in Seattle, Wash. They explain how a sold-out exhibitor hall brings together teas from China, Taiwan, Japan, India, Africa, Korea and Vietnam; how curious newcomers can sample without feeling overwhelmed; and how presentations, workshops and Tea Bar sessions turn tasting into learning. Andrew also describes what admission includes and why the festival has become an annual reunion supported by a dedicated volunteer community. Buy tickets and explore the program at https://nwteafestival.org/ | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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In Colombo, prices averaged $3.55 per kilogram this week, up 10 cents versus the previous week, Sale 24. In North India, prices averaged $2.62 per kilogram, up 8 cents from the last available official average (Week 25). In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.33 per kilogram, up 1 cent versus the prior indicative benchmark, Sale 25. | In Indonesia, prices averaged $2.41 per kilogram, flat versus the prior indicative benchmark, Week 26. |

Across the four markets, quality segmentation remains the dominant pricing mechanism. Exporters are resisting lower bids where currency stability and embedded costs support price floors, but buyers are not building speculative positions. Freight, insurance, packaging, and finance remain important, particularly for lower-value teas where logistics consume a larger share of the delivered price.

The takeaway is that headline averages are firming without a broad demand breakout. Traders should watch quality, clearance, and export execution separately: the best teas are moving with competition, while weaker descriptions still need accurate pricing to clear. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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When Tea Becomes More Than a Product: Building Ritual, Community, and Trust Without Losing Authenticity

Tea is often described in terms of origin, cultivar, elevation, and craft—but another dimension is harder to quantify and increasingly central to how people engage with tea today: presence.

Across the specialty market, we are seeing a shift. Not just toward better tea, but toward more intentional ways of experiencing it - spaces designed for slowing down, for attention, for connection. The language of ritual and mindfulness is everywhere. But that raises a critical question for the industry: what is real, and what is simply being repackaged?

Today's guest operates directly inside that tension. | Bio: Flowing River is a poet, ceremonialist, and co-founder of Drishti House in Santa Barbara, Calif. It is a space built not around consumption, but around shared presence, where tea becomes a medium for conversation, reflection, and community.

He is also the author of The Flowing River, a collection of 221 poems written over a decade-long personal journey that traces spiritual awakening, grief, love, service, identity, and ultimately, surrender. He has led more than 1,000 gatherings, from silent tea ceremonies to immersive retreats.

In this conversation, we explore what it means to build a tea practice - not just a tea brand. Where the line between authenticity and performance sits. And what, if anything, from ceremonial tea culture can translate into a viable, modern business model? | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Assam Enters Commercial Matcha Production | Caffeine Labels Could Work in Tea’s Favor | Floods Threaten the World’s Largest Jasmine Harvest | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Assam Enters Commercial Matcha Production | Caffeine Labels Could Work in Tea’s Favor | Floods Threaten the World’s Largest Jasmine Harvest | Newsmaker - Luong “Flowing River” Shen, Co-founder of Drishti House

PLUS | When Tea Becomes More Than a Product: Building Ritual, Community, and Trust Without Losing Authenticity

Tea is often described in terms of origin, cultivar, elevation, and craft—but another dimension is harder to quantify and increasingly central to how people engage with tea today: presence.

Across the specialty market, we are seeing a shift. Not just toward better tea, but toward more intentional ways of experiencing it - spaces designed for slowing down, for attention, for connection. The language of ritual and mindfulness is everywhere. But that raises a critical question for the industry: what is real, and what is simply being repackaged?

Today's guest operates directly inside that tension.

Flowing River - also known as Luong Shen - is a poet, ceremonialist, and co-founder of Drishti House in Santa Barbara, Calif. It is a space built not around consumption, but around shared presence, where tea becomes a medium for conversation, reflection, and community.

He is also the author of The Flowing River, a collection written over a decade-long personal journey that traces grief, identity, and ultimately, surrender.

In this conversation, we explore what it means to build a tea practice - not just a tea brand. Where the line between authenticity and performance sits. And what, if anything, from ceremonial tea culture can translate into a viable, modern business model?

| Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Tea markets closed Week 25 with a firmer but still highly selective tone. Demand was present across the major auctions, but buyers remained disciplined, concentrating on clean, useful teas rather than bidding broadly across the catalog.| In Colombo, prices averaged $3.95/kg this week, ↓ -$0.05/kg vs the previous week, Sale 22. In North India, prices averaged $2.59/kg this week, ↑ +$0.06/kg vs last available official average, Week 23 ending 6 June. In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.22/kg this week, ↑ +$0.08/kg vs the previous week, Week 24. In Indonesia, prices averaged $2.41/kg this week, → 0.00/kg vs prior indicative benchmark. | The structural drivers remain consistent: quality differentiation, exporter resistance, stable-to-uneven currencies, and elevated logistics and cost pressure. The market is not distressed, but it is increasingly unforgiving. | The takeaway: this is a quality-led market. Buyers are active, but only where the tea, the price, and the execution justify the bid.| Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Vietnam has long been a volume player in tea—but that's changing.

As demand shifts toward origin, clarity, and craft, a new generation is redefining what Vietnamese tea can be—and how it's valued. | Today's guest is Tri Nguyen, CEO of Tea Cusp.

BIO: Tree Tri represents a new generation of Vietnamese tea makers—one rooted in heritage but intent on redefining how the world understands Vietnam as an origin. | A second-generation producer, he has spent decades in tea alongside his family, building vertically integrated operations that include organic farming and certified production systems.His mission is explicit: change global perceptions of Vietnamese tea while improving farmer livelihoods. Through Canadian-based CUSP, he is blending traditional Vietnamese tea culture with modern processing discipline and market awareness—positioning Vietnam not as a low-cost supplier, but as a producer of expressive, origin-driven teas.| Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Heatwave Warning: El Niño and Tea’s Climate Stress Test | Nepal Tea Factories Reopen, But Export Risk Remains | Availability Is Not Deliverability | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Heatwave Warning: El Niño and Tea’s Climate Stress Test | Nepal Tea Factories Reopen, But Export Risk Remains | Availability Is Not Deliverability

NEWSMAKER – Tri Nguyen, CEO of Tea Cusp

PLUS | Vietnam: Changing Perceptions | Vietnam has long been a major force in the global tea trade, but rarely the center of the conversation. As demand grows for specialty tea, matcha, and origin-driven products, Vietnamese producers are investing in quality, processing, and identity. Today's guest is Tri Nguyen, CEO of Tea Cusp. His mission is simple but ambitious: change global perceptions of Vietnamese tea while improving opportunities for the farmers who produce it.| Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Quality Holds, Averages Ease | Tea markets closed ISO Week 21 with functional demand but a wider separation between quality teas and secondary descriptions. The market is not distressed, but it is more selective.

Colombo saw fair demand, though the total sales average eased from the previous week. North India remained active, especially for improved teas and dusts, but Sale 21 averages moved lower from Sales 20. Mombasa stayed orderly against the latest available official benchmark, while Indonesia showed the clearest demand tone, with Van Rees reporting good demand for the week. | In Colombo, prices averaged $3.62/kg this week, ↓ -$0.20/kg vs the previous sale average, Sale 19 / 20 May 2026. In North India, prices averaged $2.47/kg this week, ↓ -$0.13/kg vs reconstructed prior auction benchmark, Sale 20. In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.18/kg this week, → 0.00/kg vs last available official average, EATTA Sale 17 CTC. In Indonesia, prices averaged $2.41/kg this week, → 0.00/kg vs prior indicative benchmark. | The structural drivers remain familiar: buyers are covering needs, not building speculative positions; exporters are defending prices where quality allows; and cost pressures from freight, energy, and FX remain a swing factor, especially for lower-value teas. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Can Anonymous Worker Feedback Become a Market Signal in Tea? | Glassmarks founder Guy Chambers believes the tea industry is approaching a structural turning point. For decades, ethical sourcing systems relied heavily on audits, certifications, and private compliance reports. But consumers increasingly want transparency, while producers who invest in better working conditions often receive little recognition or commercial advantage.

Glassmarks attempts to address that gap by creating a continuous, anonymous worker feedback system focused on three indicators: Safety, Fairness, and Voice. Workers complete a one-minute survey in their own language. Results are aggregated into public-facing signals designed to help workers, managers, and buyers identify and improve workplace conditions in real time.

In this Tea Biz Spotlight, Chambers discusses why he believes traditional audit systems are failing, why “the information layer” has disappeared from global supply chains, and how anonymous worker feedback could eventually become a competitive market signal within tea sourcing.

Bio: Glassmarks founder and Executive Chairman Guy Chambers has spent more than three decades in the global beverage industry, including leadership roles in China’s ready-to-drink tea sector and as former CEO of Finlays. His current work focuses on building transparency, worker feedback systems, and continuous improvement models for supply chains. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Middle East Conflict Dramatically Lowers Sri Lanka Tea Exports | Assam Unrest Reveals Deeper Industry Strains | Turkish Tea Finds a Bigger Export Market | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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Middle East Conflict Dramatically Lowers Sri Lanka Tea Exports | Assam Unrest Reveals Deeper Industry Strains | Turkish Tea Finds a Bigger Export Market - Guy Chambers, Founder, Executive Chairman, Glassmarks

PLUS | The Power of Feedback | What if anonymous worker feedback became reliable and pervasive? Could feedback be powerful enough to reshape tea sourcing?

For decades, ethical tea relied on audits and certifications. But what if the people closest to production — the workers themselves — became the source of continuous improvement? Guy Chambers, former CEO at Finlays and founder of Glassmarks, designed the not-for-profit platform around three simple ideas: Safety, Fairness, and Voice. Workers complete a one-minute anonymous survey. The results are aggregated and shared to encourage continuous improvement. The idea is simple. Could worker feedback become an information layer that tea has been missing? | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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