Story 3: Tea, Community and Livelihoods

Planting Tea, Growing Life

At Doi Pu Muen, tea is more than an agricultural crop.

For generations, tea has been woven into the daily life of the community. From tending tea trees on the mountain slopes to harvesting fresh leaves and processing them into finished tea, tea provides both livelihoods and a connection to local identity.

Today, Doi Pu Muen is home to approximately 110 households, many of whom continue to cultivate Assam tea as an important source of income. Tea grows alongside forests, homes, and community spaces, forming part of a landscape where nature and everyday life remain closely connected.

Yet life on the mountain has not always been easy.

For many years, tea farmers faced challenges associated with remote locations, limited market access, and low prices for raw tea leaves. While tea was the community’s most important crop, much of its value was captured outside the village. As a result, many families worked hard while receiving only modest returns.

Over time, community leaders, local enterprises, universities, government agencies, and development partners worked together to strengthen the tea value chain.

New initiatives helped improve tea quality, support organic farming practices, develop tea-processing knowledge, and create opportunities for community-based tourism.

Today, visitors can participate in activities such as tea harvesting, tea tasting, tea blending, forest walks, and homestay experiences. These activities create additional income opportunities while allowing guests to learn directly from the people who cultivate and process the tea.

Tea has also helped bring generations together.

Elders continue to share their knowledge of tea cultivation and community traditions, while younger generations contribute new ideas in tourism, product development, marketing, and cultural storytelling. Together, they are helping shape the future of Doi Pu Muen while remaining connected to its roots.

For the people of Doi Pu Muen, tea is not simply something that is grown and sold. It represents work, knowledge, relationships, and hope for future generations.

When tea grows, opportunities grow with it.

Tea is more than a crop. It is a way of life.