About Us

Tea is the second most consumed drink after mineral water. There is always a high and continued demand for tea that lead to the many actors that are involved in tea industry businesses in the upstream down to the downstream levels. A myriad of tea variants and products are available in the market surface that indicates the popularity of tea among Indonesian society,  including brew tea, tea in teabags, and ready to drink tea that target their own different market segments. The growing demand of tea product to be potential and good business opportunities for tea producers mainly Indonesian tea smallholders.

Profile of Teh nDeso

Teh nDeso is a tea brand developed by tea farmers member of the Paguyuban Tani Lestari. Teh nDeso is produced as a separate and independent business unit of tea farmers and becomes a form of tea farmers’ involvement in the market of national tea industry. With a feasible product ready for market, tea farmers can demonstrate the ability to develop their self-actualization in the tea industry sector. Tea farmers are no longer mere suppliers of raw materials for tea but also owners of Teh nDeso tea brand and tea business actors

Teh nDeso (literally means Tea from the Rural Areas) is a tea brand that is produced from tea plants in smallholder tea plantations in the mountainous and rural areas of West Java and Central Java. In fact, tea farmers in the rural areas are directly involved in its production processes, which include plantation management and maintenance, harvest to dried tea product. With its distinctive rural taste and aroma, market segment of Teh nDeso is targeted specifically at the rural population across Indonesia. Over time, it is expected that Teh nDeso will reach major cities in Indonesia.

Profile of  Paguyuban Tani Lestari Forum

Paguyuban Tani Lestari is an association of tea farmers in from West Java and Central Java. Initially, farmers joined farmer groups in their respective villages and were very actively involved in activities and programs implemented by the government, private institutions as well as companies. In Bandung in mid 2016, Paguyuban Tani Lestari was formed at tea farmers’ initiative. A number of farmers have indicated that Paguyuban Tani Lestari serves as the organization for tea farmers to improve their bargaining position as the main producers in the supply chain of national tea industry. Lestari literally means “Sustainabile”. Hope is high that Paguyuban Tani Lestari can serve as a farmer institution or organization that work for farmer groups’ benefit and added values as well as improved livelihood in a sustainable manner.

Membership consists of tea farmers from 14 districts, i.e. the district of Bandung, West Bandung, Subang, Purwakarta, Sumedang, Majalengka, Ciamis, Garut, Tasikmalaya, Cianjur, Sukabumi, Pekalongan, Banjarnegara and Batang. The members establish regular coordination and communication mechanism for sharing of update, progress and information related with tea sector in Indonesia.

Teh nDeso is tea product that is produced directly by tea farmers member of Paguyuban Tani Lestari. In other words, Paguyuban Tani Lestari is the owner and at the same time the producer of Teh nDeso. Teh nDeso is produced from high quality fresh green tea leaves from smallholder tea plantations in Central Java and West Java. Processed in smallholder tea processing unit through mechanization and blending, Teh nDeso goes through quality control and sorting to ensure production of high quality tea.

Vision and Mission of Teh nDeso and Paguyuban Tani Lestari

Vision:

1.      To achieve improved, prosperous and self-reliant lives of tea farmer households

2.      To improve and maintain smallholder tea plantations that foster better supply chain in tea industry

3.      To improve tea farmers’ capacity/skills/human resource towards creativity and competitiveness

4.      To promote the national tea industry

Mission:

1.      Teh nDesoas the brand of tea farmers who are members of Paguyuban Tani Lestari

2.      Teh nDeso to provide the benefit to tea farmers and consumers through better income for tea farmers and better tea quality for consumers

3.      Teh nDeso to provide education to consumers and the society on good tea production processes and consumption

4.      Teh nDeso to contribute to the national tea industry as local tea product and to provide good quality tea to the society

5.      Teh nDeso to play the role in strengthening farmer groups in rural areas, improving tea farmers’ low bargaining position despite their role as the producers of raw materials for tea in the supply chain of the national tea industry.

6.      To establish sustainable and environmental-friendly smallholder tea plantations.

7.      Teh nDeso to contribute to creating employment opportunities in rural areas, promote rural areas as economic source to reduce the rate of urbanization of rural communities to urban areas.

8.      Teh nDeso to lay down the spirit towards improved quality and quality of smallholder tea plantations to reduce conversion of tea plantation areas into other purposes. Tea plants are known for their capacity to retain water and to prevent flooding and landslide in hilly areas. Recent development has shown the conversion of many smallholder tea plantations into other purposes such as cultivation of other commodities or property construction that eventually lead to higher risk to disaster. In addition to that, uncontrolled conversion will definitely only mean the inability of Indonesia to achieve tea self-sufficiency.

9.      Teh nDeso to contribute to tea farmers’ improved livelihood through downstream distribution and sales of Teh nDeso and to generate additional income to tea farmers.