A published by researchers from the Biodiversity and Sustainability Lab at Duke Kunshan University’s Environmental Research Center evaluates the feasibility of developing a biodiversity-friendly certification for tea.
The team analyzed global market trends, existing certification schemes, competition within China’s tea industry and interviews with tea farmers from the Yunnan province, where growers cultivate tea through sustainable practices that preserve native plants.
The authors conclude that biodiversity-friendly tea certification could strengthen rural livelihoods and sustain China’s culturally significant tea industry. However, successful implementation will require careful design, strategic pilot programs, coordination among multiple stakeholders, and evidence demonstrating tangible value for growers, consumers and conservation alike.
The authors of the report include Judy Song, iMEP’26, Ph.D. student Siqi Liang and Binbin Li, associate professor of environmental science and head of the Biodiversity and Sustainability Lab at Duke Kunshan University.
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