International Tea Farms Alliance

Our Mission

About the International Tea Farms Alliance

The ITFA was started by Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations with support from the “Japan Brand” project of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry in Japan. The mission of the alliance is to connect tea farmers from various production regions with each other, and with tea lovers around the world.

Membership in the ITFA is free, and applications are open both to tea farmers and to tea lovers.

About ITFA

Affiliated Network

ITFA Farms

The alliance maintains a network of affiliated tea farms across China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and the USA.

• Shang TeaChina
• Gopaldhara Tea EstateIndia
• Kusum Tea Plantations Pvt LtdIndia
• Lochan Tea LimitedIndia
• N. I Jamir Tea EstateIndia
• PT Harendong Green FarmIndonesia
• Kurihara SeichaJapan
• Kyoto Obubu Tea PlantationsJapan
• Ukibe Seicha Haru IchibanJapan
• JukroKorea
• Jun Chiyabari Tea GardenNepal
• Morawaka Estates Co (Pvt) LtdSri Lanka
• Goe TeaTaiwan
• Yuanshiang Dignitea GardenTaiwan
• Na Liko TeaUSA
• Golden Feather Tea CompanyUSA
• Hawai`i Rainforest TeaUSA
• Tea Hawaii & CompanyUSA

All member farms

The International Tea Farms Alliance is a non-profit organisation established by tea farmers themselves, positioning itself as a bridge between producers and the drinkers who appreciate their work. Rather than operating as a commercial brand, it exists to create visibility and mutual understanding across the tea world, connecting estates and smallholders in multiple production regions with audiences far beyond their local markets.

The idea behind the alliance grew out of a shared recognition among growers that individual farms, however distinctive, are often isolated from one another and invisible to consumers. By joining forces, producers can exchange knowledge, present their teas collectively, and speak with a clearer voice about quality, origin and the people behind each harvest.

Tea farmers from different regions and countries form the backbone of this network. Member estates span a wide geography, including gardens in Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, the United States and Hawai'i, with numerous private gardens and organically minded operations among them. Each contributes its own landscape, climate and cultivation tradition to a genuinely international conversation.

The alliance was started by Kyoto Obubu Tea Plantations with support from the Japan Brand project of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. That origin story reflects a practical belief: that supporting regional producers and promoting them abroad can serve wider economic and cultural goals, and that tea is an especially good medium for carrying that idea across borders.

Alongside farmers, the alliance welcomes tea lovers as members and supporters, treating them as essential participants rather than passive customers. By sharing stories of cultivation, processing and daily ritual, growers and drinkers build relationships that help sustain farms over time, and visitors are encouraged to learn directly from the people who make the tea.

Membership is offered free of charge, and applications are open both to tea estates and farms seeking representation and to individuals who simply want to stay informed and involved. Ambassadors, interns and supporters occupy roles that extend the alliance's reach, and the organisation also publishes articles, news, blogs and press material covering tea culture, business and regional industry issues.

Information about the alliance is organised into practical areas for visitors: the organisation's mission and background, member farms and estates, articles and news, culture and industry topics, press resources, details of how to apply for membership, an FAQ, and quick links to associated projects. Clear navigation makes it easy for farmers, partners and enthusiasts to find the section relevant to them.

Beyond its membership structure, the alliance is interested in the wider health of the tea economy, including the effects of trade, ministry and regional policy on small producers. By documenting conditions, sharing experience and widening access to international audiences, it aims to strengthen the position of growers while keeping the focus on quality tea, sound farming and respectful relationships with consumers.

Ultimately, the International Tea Farms Alliance presents itself as a cooperative platform with an international outlook: a place where the scattered gardens of the world's tea-growing regions can be seen together, and where a farmer's determination to produce fine leaf meets a drinker's willingness to learn, support and return. Its promise is simple and direct, to connect the people who grow tea with the people who love it.

Timeline

Milestones

• August 5, 2011

  The International Tea Farms Alliance officially announced the Global Tea Tasters Club from Kyoto, Japan.

• October 2011

  The first shipment of tea for the Global Tea Tasters Club was sent from Japan.

• Today

  Membership remains free, with farms across nine countries listed in the alliance network.