Impact-Oriented Tea Production

Our country is home to a tea production tradition that has continued for approximately 85 years in the fertile lands of the Eastern Black Sea region. Tea farming is the direct or indirect source of livelihood for thousands of families. Unfortunately, the economic value of tea is decreasing due to the industrialization of tea production and its limitation to a single variety. The size of tea gardens per household is also shrinking from generation to generation due to inheritance divisions. These two factors are the biggest obstacles to families achieving a sustainable source of income.

Unfortunately, skilled job opportunities are very limited in rural areas. The relocation of packaging and support units of large factories to big cities is causing the elimination of skilled job opportunities for the local population, turning the tea economy into a seasonal and insufficient source of income. The result is a well-known consequence: irregular migration from villages to cities. As cities grow, rural areas empty, and achieving a sustainable life becomes impossible in both directions.

So, what is Lazika trying to do differently?

At Lazika, we design and produce teas for the world from the heart of the tea industry, in the countryside. 98% of the added value we generate remains in our region. All of our employees work with us year-round; they are not seasonal workers. Ardeşen is our Global Headquarters. Our goal is to create 500 full-time qualified employees within 5 years and 1000 full-time qualified employees within 10 years. We will prevent migration from villages to cities. We will create world-class job opportunities in Ardeşen for young people who have graduated from university.

We pay more for higher quality, well-picked tea. We pay, on average, four times more for hand-picked tea. This increases both the economic value and the quality of the tea. 380 lovely aunts and sisters hand-pick 2.5 tea leaves for us. The amount of tea we receive increases three to four times every year. Because kindness is contagious. Every year, more and more producers hand-pick tea. These high-quality teas are enjoyed in 50 countries outside of our own.

Our fabric packaging is sewn by women entrepreneurs in villages in Ardeşen. It was a crazy project. Our customers supported it, and our fabric packaging has become a very beautiful, sustainable project that creates real added value. It's a project that's good for tea.

Our goal is to triple Lazika's impact on rural areas every year. We will achieve this plan through organic growth and new projects. We will also keep you informed about our impact projects from time to time.

Here's to beautiful days where we all leave our mark, and our impact grows exponentially.

This is where "Impact-Oriented Tea Production" comes in. Our aim is to preserve Lazika's rich tea heritage while blending our production processes with environmentally friendly and community-supporting methods. We apply organic farming methods in our tea gardens, develop projects that support local communities, and aim to ensure that every tea leaf embodies both flavor and goodness.