Day 3
Colombia
”Peace is not an accident. Peace is not a gift. Peace is something we must all work for, every day.”
– Ban Ki-moon
Today’s Tea & Peace Reflection
provided by James Norwood Pratt
Tea and Peace
Today’s Tea Region:
Colombia
The tea included in the Global Tea Blend has been provided by:
History
The first interest in growing tea in Colombia began about 65 years ago, in the early 1950s. At that time, the Colombian Department of Agriculture launched a research project to determine if the Camellia sinensis could become a viable agricultural product. They imported several varieties from established tea producers in Brazil and established several gardens to determine which type of tea plants and in what geographic area the crop might thrive. The three regions originally chosen were Valle del Cauca, Cundinamarca and Santander. Of these three, Valle del Cauca is the only area where tea production continues and thrives.
Bitaco® is essentially a “new” tea Origin, located in the exotic, beautiful, and peaceful Andes Mountains of Colombia.
Bitaco® is a High Grown tea that is cultivated at over 6,000 feet above sea level in the mist-capped Andes at Bitaco, Colombia. We are located in the bio-geographic region of Chocó, characterized by its high level of rainfall and exceptional biodiversity. The Bitaco® Tea plantation is a tiny tea garden nestled alongside a thriving, protected rain forest, the Bitaco Regional Forest Reserve (Reserva Forestal Protectora Regional de Bitaco).
Since 2013 we have been developing Bitaco®Unique Colombian Tea, a loose leaf tea that brings to your cup unique Colombian flavors. We own our own tea garden and a new high-tech factory, the most modern in the Americas. We guarantee the entire tea process, from harvesting through delivery to the final customer. Bitaco® exports to markets in Germany, France, England, and the USA.
OUR ORGANIC, SUSTAINABLE MOUNTAIN TEA FARMING
We ensure the quality of products within the organic production context of the NOP (USDA) regulations. We further ensure quality with the UTZ certified “Good Inside” label, providing our customers clean, pure, and natural teas with full traceability and supported by social and environmental accountability
WATER AND BIODIVERSITY
Bitaco® Tea owns 51 hectares of tea plants nestled within the Andean fog forest ecosystem. We are surrounded by the Bitaco Regional Forest Reserve, where our tea garden coexists with a biological corridor that allows the conservation of spring waters and a wide diversity of flora and fauna: 256 bird species, 28 amphibian species, 23 reptile species, and 772 species of plants.
BITACO® FOSTERS RURAL COMMUNITY
Bitaco® Tea created the Agricola Himalaya Foundation to develop and improve programs focusing on education, especially for children. Activities focus on the improvement of infrastructure, recreational opportunities, local culture, and access to technology.