Visiting Assam with the Ethical Tea Partnership

Heading home from Assam, Josh – our Supply Chain Director - brought back more than just samples in his suitcase. A week spent between the ETP's (formally the Ethical Tea Partnership) India Tea Forum in Guwahati, visiting one of our longstanding suppliers, and meeting Community Development Forums across several estates offered a deep, human reminder of what’s at stake in one of the world’s most important tea-growing regions.

Assam matters enormously to Good & Proper. It was the very first tea Emilie served from the van back in 2012, and it remains at the heart of our Breakfast Blends today – bringing that unmistakable malty, chocolatey richness that so many of our customers reach for each morning. Rumour has it that David Attenborough once enjoyed a cup of our pure tippy Assam, served to him at a major summer sporting event… 

For all its familiarity in the cup, the reality on the ground is far more complex. And spending time in Assam again, alongside producers, brands and those who know this industry inside out, brought a different level of understanding.

In the tea leaves

Why Assam matters

India is the world’s second-largest tea producer, with Assam itself being the single largest tea producing region in the world, supporting the livelihoods of millions of families across the northeast. The region’s naturally suited assamica varietals thrive in the intense monsoon cycles, high humidity and fertile alluvial soil – producing those bold, full-bodied black teas that have become so closely associated with a proper breakfast brew.

But Assam’s tea story has another side. Like many origins shaped by empire, its history is tied to colonial expansion and labour systems that formalised deep inequality. Over time, tea estates grew into vast, self-contained worlds of factories, housing, schools and hospitals. Today, women make up a large part of the workforce, carrying out much of the skilled fieldwork, yet they remain under-represented in leadership and decision-making. Understanding that context matters. It reminds us why lasting change in tea has to be structural, collaborative and centred on the people who grow it.

Why we went

Last year, Josh joined the Ethical Tea Partnership in Kenya for their first regional forum – an experience that offered invaluable context on the pressures producers are facing, and how collaboration across the supply chain can unlock meaningful progress.

So when he was invited to join the ETP’s India Tea Forum in Guwahati this year, followed by visits to longstanding partners including Khongea – a producer who has grown alongside us almost since the beginning – we didn’t hesitate.

The goal was simple: to listen, learn, and understand how the realities facing Assam’s tea communities are shifting on the ground.

Challenges facing Assam's tea industry

Some challenges echo those seen across many tea origins; others are uniquely acute in Assam:

Climate volatility
Erratic monsoons, rising temperatures and increased pest activity are disrupting yields, leaf quality and – crucially – safety for workers who are increasingly exposed to extreme heat.

Rising production costs
Fertiliser, electricity, logistics, certification, housing and healthcare costs continue to rise. Yet auction prices and export returns often fail to keep pace, creating margin pressures that restrict investment in adaptation and worker infrastructure.

Overproduction and demand cycles
One of the pressures of overproduction is that it suppresses prices due to there being so much tea available. Sometimes prices of sold tea are less than the cost of production which can reduce the commercial incentive for rigorous quality assurance.

Systemic gender inequity
Women form the backbone of the industry yet remain under-represented in decision-making, safe accommodation design, and pay equity discussions. Recent investigations into gender-based exploitation have emphasised the urgency of safeguarding, agency and meaningful, long-term support.

ETP’s India Forum

Across two days in Guwahati, one thing was clear: the challenges facing Assam’s tea industry can only be tackled together. Climate change, fair value, and the wellbeing of workers - especially women - were front and centre.

Producers spoke openly about the realities they’re facing: rising temperatures, unpredictable weather, increasing costs, and the pressure to meet growing sustainability expectations without a change in the price they receive for their tea. There was also a welcome focus on bringing small tea growers into the conversation, recognising the vital role they play in Assam’s future.

It was both sobering and hopeful - a reminder that real progress relies on genuine collaboration across the supply chain.

Reflections from the field

Beyond the Forum, time spent with estate workers and community representatives brought the conversation into sharp focus.

Small interventions – from financial literacy workshops to local livelihood projects – have had an outsized impact on women and girls in particular. These are the people who pluck, process and care for the leaves that end up in our cups, yet have historically been denied the opportunities needed to build independence and agency.

Hearing directly from them was a powerful reminder that “impact” isn’t an abstract target or a line in a sustainability report; it’s deeply local, and often life-changing.

Good & Proper’s role in Assam's tea future

Being part of the Forum left Josh reflecting again on where Good & Proper fits into Assam’s landscape – and the responsibility that comes with growth.

We were, as usual, one of the smallest brands in the room. But our approach – flavour-led, speciality-focused, and firmly committed to fair value – resonated. There was rare alignment across stakeholders that unlocking long-term value for Assam depends on growing demand for high-grade, properly priced teas.

Climate change is now a key pillar of our updated Impact strategy, and the shift in tone since Josh’s last visit in 2023 was undeniable. The impacts are no longer being discussed as future risks; they are being felt now. Our role is to keep pushing for better: better tea, better value at origin, better futures for the people who grow it.

We know that meaningful change must happen at both a micro and macro level. Project-level support improves lives today; industry-wide collaboration shapes what’s possible tomorrow. Both are essential, and we intend to be part of both.

Planting trees so our visit leaves a lasting impression

Assam remains central to our story – not just because of the teas we buy, but because of the people behind them. As we continue to grow, our goal is to expand the positive impact we have at origin, working closely with suppliers and the wider industry to ensure that doing things properly is felt all the way back to the estate.

We came home from Assam with a renewed sense of urgency, but also hope. Real change is possible when growers, buyers, brands and communities pull in the same direction. And as always, we’ll keep doing our part – cup by cup, relationship by relationship.