Sri Lanka to Chair Asia Tea Alliance; Colombo to host sixth ATA and Asia International Tea Summit 2025

TSHDA Chairman  Nimal Udugampola	Solidaridad Asia Managing Director and ATA Convener Dr. Shatadru Chattopadhayay

Sri Lanka will assume the Chairmanship of the Asia Tea Alliance (ATA) for 2026-2027, with Tea Small Holdings Development Authority (TSHDA) Chairman Nimal Udugampola taking on the role. 

The announcement coincides with Colombo hosting the 6th ATA Annual Meeting at Moonwalk by Citrus, Lotus Tower, on 27 November, convened by Solidaridad Asia Managing Director Dr. Shatadru Chattopadhayay, followed by the Asia International Tea Summit 2025 under the theme “Tea Reimagined: Regenerative, Resilient, and Carbon Free.” 

Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister Samantha Vidyarathna will attend as Chief Guest.

Sri Lanka’s assumption of the ATA Chairmanship is a strategic milestone for the nation and the wider region. For the first time in the Alliance’s history, a smallholder-institution leader – the TSHDA will chair the ATA. This elevates Sri Lanka’s regional standing, amplifies smallholder representation, and positions the country to help shape standards, policy dialogue, trade priorities, and market access across Asia’s tea value chains.

Equally, the Chairmanship highlights tea as a shared endeavour of smallholders and plantations. Sri Lanka’s model brings both sectors to the table, aligning smallholder institutions, private plantations, exporters, and policymakers around a common agenda. Under Sri Lanka’s stewardship, the ATA’s focus will be on regenerative practice, climate resilience, fair value, and stronger market linkages, with Sri Lankan producers, large and small, gaining a more prominent voice on the global stage.

Previous ATA meetings were 2018 – Inaugural ATA, Beijing, China; 2019 – second ATA, Jakarta, Indonesia; 2022 – third ATA, Kolkata, India; 2023 – fourth ATA, Bandung, Indonesia; and 2024 – fifth ATA, Kolkata, India.

Sri Lanka now has a unique opportunity to lead the transition to a decarbonised tea supply chain and to set a benchmark for inclusive, regenerative tea. Through the ATA and the Asia International Tea Summit, the country can demonstrate how credible standards, science-based climate action, efficient energy and fertiliser use, and nature-positive practices can be implemented in ways that are commercially viable and socially inclusive. This positions Sri Lanka not only as a producer of high-quality tea, but as a regional hub for climate-smart, low-carbon, smallholder–plantation collaboration.

Tea is the world’s most widely consumed beverage and supports the livelihoods of millions across Asia and beyond. Yet, the sector continues to face significant and persistent challenges: climate stress, price volatility, productivity gaps, and unequal representation in decision-making, all of which disproportionately affect producers and smallholders. These realities underscored the need for a shared platform to represent producers’ interests and to drive collaborative reform across the tea value chain.

To strengthen the collective voice of Asian tea-producing nations and foster practical cooperation, Solidaridad Asia played a catalytic role in establishing the ATA. The ATA was officially founded in 2018 in Beijing, bringing together the region’s major tea economies under a common mission to make the sector more competitive, sustainable, and resilient. The founding members were India, China, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, with Nepal and Bangladesh joining subsequently.

Smallholder tea growers contribute substantially to national outputs and to rural economies, yet often face limited technical support, restricted market access, and growing vulnerability to climate change. From its inception, the ATA has placed particular emphasis on the inclusion of smallholder institutions, ensuring that their perspectives inform regional policy dialogue, market development, and sectoral reform.

The Alliance convenes annually, with the Summit hosted on a rotational basis among its members. Previous Summits have been held in Beijing (2018), Jakarta (2019), Kolkata (2022 and 2024), and Bandung (2023). The 2025 Summit in Colombo marks the sixth anniversary of the ATA’s shared commitment to a sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready tea industry.

The Asia International Tea Summit 2025 will run from 12:30-6 p.m. on 27 November at Moonwalk by Citrus, Lotus Tower, under the theme “Tea Reimagined: Regenerative, Resilient and Carbon Free.” The program will convene industry leaders, policymakers, smallholder representatives, plantation companies, exporters, and technical experts.

A high-level technical session will focus on: Transition Pathways to Regenerative Agriculture in Tea; Building Climate and Market Resilience for Smallholders and Plantations; Expanding Consumption and Market Access for Sustainable and Regenerative Tea; National Smallholder Branding Initiatives (including Indonesia’s Garuda Mark); Emerging Trade Opportunities with the Russian Market and Beyond; and Practical Enablers of Decarbonisation, Such as Bio-Digesters for Energy and Fertiliser Security, and Advances in Soil Health and Carbon Management.

A dedicated segment led by Control Union will examine carbon markets and ecosystem services, with a focus on buyer demand for verified regenerative outcomes and credible claims. The Summit will also introduce the multi-author volume ‘Resilient Roots,’ along with concise presentations on Sri Lanka’s Pivithuru program, an entrepreneurship hub model for tea villages, and pathways for medium-scale estates. 

Proceedings will conclude with the Tea Reimagined Awards and a multi-country tea appreciation and cultural showcase.

Sri Lanka will position itself as a regional hub and showcase for inclusive, regenerative, and decarbonised tea supply chains, demonstrating the country’s ambition to lead by example for the wider region.

Dr. Chattopadhayay said: “The ATA’s mission is to turn collaboration into competitiveness—aligning producers, smallholders, and companies around verified sustainability, market access, and resilience. Sri Lanka’s leadership arrives at the right moment to advance decarbonised, regenerative tea and deliver fairer value across the supply chain.”

Udugampola said: “Smallholders and plantations are both central to the future of tea. As Chair, I will prioritise regenerative practices, stronger livelihoods, and premium market access, underpinned by credible standards and partnerships. Together with ATA members, we will translate sustainability and decarbonisation into tangible gains for producers and consumers alike.”

Nucleus Foundation Director and ATA Secretariat Head (2026–2027)  Dave Maurice said: “At the Colombo meeting, we will launch the ATA website as the central hub for information and exchange. Over the next two years, we will implement a structured programme of activities to deepen knowledge-sharing, market intelligence, and producer support, helping Asia’s tea sector move decisively towards inclusive, regenerative, and low-carbon growth.”

The ATA convenes leading tea organisations from across Asia to make the sector more competitive, sustainable, and resilient at scale. Its vision is an efficient, economic, and regular supply of high-quality, sustainable tea; better living and working conditions for workers; and a fair return for producers.

It coordinates members to advance sustainable production and trade aligned with national standards, laws, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); make policy recommendations that protect both small and large producers and ensure a level playing field; grow consumption of sustainable tea through joint events and consumer awareness; collate and share statistics, research, and market intelligence on Asian tea; and provide technical, quality, financial and market support, and foster strategic alliances among Smal and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The ATA was convened by Dr. Chattopadhayay in 2018. Since then, it has served as a regional platform for producer organisations, smallholder institutions, plantation associations, and market actors to collaborate on shared challenges and opportunities.

Membership consists of the Indian Tea Association, China Tea Marketing Association, Indonesia Tea Marketing Association, Lestari Farmer Association, Indonesia, The Planters’ Association of Ceylon, Bangladesh Tea Association, National Brokers Ltd., (Bangladesh), 

Nepal Tea Producers’ Association, Indonesia Tea Board, Paguyuban Tani Lestari, Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations (CISTA), United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI), TSHDA Sri Lanka, and Central Tea Cooperative Federation (CTCF) Nepal.

The ATA Secretariat for 2026-2027 will be hosted by Nucleus Foundation, Colombo.