Organic Tea Farming and Why it Should Matter to You!

Earlier this year, we had our EISAI matcha tested for more than 700 pesticides by a food testing agency - Eurofins Australia.

Our tea suppliers in Japan undergo regular auditing and compliance in order to operate as an Organic tea farm.

However, as a peace of mind, we set about acquiring our own independent tests.

It was no surprise when the results came back, passing with below levels of detection.

Excellent news of course!

But there’s an unknown truth behind organic farming, which I feel compelled to share with you.

Here’s a few reasons why.

The local demand for loose leaf tea in Japan has been in a gradual decline.

In Japan, there’s an upward trend in bottle tea where the big bottle tea companies buy huge amounts of tea leaves for very cheap prices.

To meet that demand, some of the tea farms have no choice but to farm with pesticides and synthetic fertilisers to produce higher yielding harvests that are less prone to the damaging impact of pests.

Some of the lower-lying tea farms are met with even tougher challenges as the warmer climate at lower altitudes are a prime target for crop-mongering pests that thrive in the warmer temperatures.

Imagine a neighbouring region of numerous tea farms and 1 or 2 tea farmers in that region have decided to grow their crop with chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilisers.

This becomes a challenge for the nearby organic farms in the same region, because wind-drifts and shared water supplies can potentially carry the pesticide droplets across to the organic farms who are trying to maintain their organic status-quo.

So as you can see, the odds are stacked against the organic farmers who vying to remain organic. 

The perseverance and dedication of organic farmers is tremendous. Most tea farms are run by older age farmers where tea farming is a deep seated family tradition.

The physical labour and unpredictable climatic challenges that are involved in tea farming is not really something that younger generations in Japan are enthusiastic about.

The good news is... things are starting to change. 

The organic run farms are starting to form alliances with each other. They are banding together in support of one another. 

They can see the keen interest and potential from abroad for their traditional Japanese style green tea, well beyond the mass produced tea bottle industries.

These masterful, passionate people see organic farming as an opportunity to live and work alongside nature and its natural rhythms. By observing and working in harmony with nature it aids the conservation of biodiversity of the local area. It also becomes a way to preserve cultural knowledge and tradition.  

From what I’ve seen and have learnt, many of our customers are thoughtful in what they purchase and what they consume. 

Not just for their own health interests, tastes, and beliefs, but also in respect and appreciation of the teams of people who worked hard to bring a flavourful and wholesome cup of pure green tea to our homes.

And this is true to what organic tea farming is all about. 

I am personally in reverence of the tremendous effort that goes beyond every cup of tea since starting this business.

We at Purematcha are so proud to support our organic tea partners and we’re thrilled and honoured to have the privilege of bringing these artisanal teas directly to you.