How Tea Gardens in Darjeeling and Kalimpong Can Contribute Towards Landscape Conservation

Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills situated in the eastern Himalayas are part of a biodiversity hotspot and host several endangered species. Over the last century, tea gardens in the region have formed a distinct part of the landscape identity and economy. The process of landuse change for tea cultivation initiated during the colonial times, however, has devastated the region with massive deforestation and almost complete replacement of the native vegetation with tea plantations and exotic monocultures of Cryptomeria japonica. The loss of native trees coupled with persistent development pressures have seen the degradation of ecosystems and associated ecosystem services.

A recent pilot study, about the potential for ecological restoration in tea garden landscapes of the region, revealed some interesting findings.

While the tea gardens have attempted to improve their value and image by converting to organic cultivation and obtaining various environment-friendly certifications, this has not been enough to arrest their downward decline. A series of negative developments have contributed to a downturn in the tea business and in many cases have led to the shutdown of the tea gardens after some owners sold out and retreated. The impasse with the European market, which has traditionally been the biggest market for Darjeeling tea and the entry of cheaper Nepal tea, marketed as ‘Himalayan Tea’ has posed existential challenges for many of the tea gardens. With a new generation of estate owners prioritising immediate profits, there is intense pressure on the surviving tea gardens to fight for survival.

A variety of solutions have been proposed and implemented to differing degrees of success in some of the tea gardens to increase revenues and ensure their existence. This has meant diversifying into products that are considered more ‘marketable’ such as green tea, white tea, iced tea, herbs etc. This has also been accompanied by improved packaging, often at the local level. A significant impetus has been given to ‘tea tourism’ with the West Bengal government also providing financial support for such initiatives. A prime example is Makaibari tea estate which signed an agreement with hospitality industry leaders resulting in the Taj Chia Kutir Resorts and Spa.

With tourism in the Darjeeling region also moving outside the urban areas into less crowded suburbs accompanied by the rise of homestays, tea gardens are also working on moving into tourism in a bigger way.

From forests to monocultures

Environmental activists and conservationists have highlighted concerns for the Darjeeling Himalayan region, for both the urban as well as rural areas. While the unplanned urbanisation and industrialisation accompanied by pollution around Darjeeling town has led to serious negative impacts, the region has also seen other serious problems like landslides, soil erosion and shrinking freshwater sources as a consequence of increasing deforestation.

Climate change has added to these impacts with sudden rainfall bursts resulting in higher risk of landslides. The changes in rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures are influencing the vegetation, including the production of Darjeeling tea. Simultaneously the shrinking forest cover and degradation of remnant habitats have led to decrease in biodiversity, with iconic species such as the red panda and the endemic Himalayan salamander at risk of being lost.

While conservation efforts are starting to focus on restoring the land and water resources in the landscape, the status of tea gardens remains a primary concern. Tea gardens currently make up around 18% of land area in the Darjeeling hills and represent a large and important segment that not only sustains thousands of livelihoods, but also maintain forest patches that provide varying degrees of ecosystem services.

Maintaining forests and biodiversity and associated sustainable practices within tea gardens do provide some tangible business benefits to tea gardens. These come in the form of third-party certifications that vouch for sustainable agroecology practices in tea gardens which in turn provide greater legitimacy to the tea garden companies, allowing them to trade internationally and charge a premium for their product.

Challenges in conserving a tea garden landscape

The loss of forest cover and native vegetation that resulted from the expansion of tea gardens and monoculture plantations in Darjeeling, have had a lasting impact on the ecology of the region. Conservationists have tried to work within these limitations and have been trying to build alliances that can reverse some of the damage that has been done. Positive examples are available from places such as Makaibari and Tukdah tea estates where forward-thinking managers and a supportive group of owners have helped retain large patches of native forest and biodiversity, while also leading the way in the adoption of sustainable practices.

Restoration and reforestation efforts of the landscape have also been attempted with WWF-India and Teekampagne, Germany’s long running Project SERVE being an example. More recently, Darjeeling-based environmental NGO FOSEP (Federation of Societies for Environmental Protection) initiated a project supported by TNC-India on Long-term ecological restoration and monitoring in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills.

While these efforts are necessary and noteworthy, they are often perceived to have limited impact considering their scale in the context of national and global restoration targets. Such concerns are misplaced and tend to overlook the unique role of mountain regions such as the eastern Himalayas.

While it is true that hilly regions like Darjeeling may have less land available for restoration compared to the plains, the ecological value of these areas can be very high. The eastern Himalayas host a diverse range of flora and fauna, some of which may be unique to these areas. They also play a crucial role in watershed management, helping to regulate water flow and quality, and can act as natural barriers against disasters like landslides and floods.

Moreover, these areas often have cultural and spiritual significance for local communities and can contribute to tourism and recreation. Therefore, even though the quantity of land available for restoration might be less in the mountains, their significance is immense.

Potential solutions

What are the best ways to address these concerns within the limitations of the landscape? Cases from across the world in agroforestry landscapes provide hope and suggest other ways in which tea gardens can contribute positively to conservation that can potentially benefit their product as well as their reputation internationally.

Tea and coffee agroforestry systems can potentially provide environmental, economic and social benefits that could have long-lasting implications for the health of the landscape. The maintenance of appropriate shade trees can help maintain soil moisture, reduce soil erosion and resultant landslides while creating conditions for greater biodiversity presence. Agroforestry practices can provide social benefits by improving the livelihoods of farmers and local communities, enhance food security, and ensuring critical ecosystem services for local communities. Such practices are positively valued and translate into greater trust and acceptance of the brand internationally. The value of tea bushes, shade trees and soil as carbon sinks for climate change mitigation, is being increasingly recognised.

While tea gardens may not be the ideal form of landuse for the Darjeeling hills, unsustainable developmental pressure has been rapidly increasing in the landscape. With the closing of some tea gardens, many of these areas are being developed in a manner that does not augur well for the people and the environment. With thousands of livelihoods also dependent upon tea gardens, conversion of tea gardens is potentially the starting point for further habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity and social and economic distress.

As unlikely as it sounds given the history of the region, in the current scenario, environmentalists, tea gardens and communities can be allies who need to work together for their individual benefits. Ensuring that tea gardens adopt sustainable practices, such as organic farming, carbon-negative initiatives, afforestation, efficient water management, crop diversification, and promoting ecotourism, is the logical solution. It is also imperative that state and central government agencies provide special assistance and incentives for tea gardens to continue such practices. Awarding sustainability and fair-trade certifications can also help maintain ecological balance and ensure long-term sustainability. At the cost of repeating an oft-used cliché’, this really could be a ‘win-win solution’ for the Darjeeling and Kalimpong region.

This story was first published on Mongabay India

Photo sources: ropeway, agroforestry