E WIPO/GEO/SFO/03/8 ORIGINAL: English DATE: July3,2003 WORLDINTELLECTUAL PROPERTYORGANIZATION WORLDWIDESYMPOSIUM ONGEOGRAPHICALINDI CATIONS organizedby theWorldIntellectualPropertyOrganization(WIPO) and theU nitedStatesPatentandTrademarkOffice(USPTO) SanFrancisco,California,July9to11,2003 PROTECTIONOFDARJEE LINGTEA documentpreparedbyMr.NabaKumarDas,Chairman,TeaBoardIndia WIPO/GEO/SFO/03/8 page 2 GEOGRAPHICALINDICATIONS: THEEXPERIENCEOFINDIANTEAPRODU CERS: PROTECTIONOFDARJEELINGTEA PaperpreparedfortheWorldwideSymposiumonGIs, 9 –11July2003 , SanFrancisco ByTeaBoardIndia TeaBoardIndia 14,BTMSarani, Kolkata700001,India 91332215723(Telephone) 91332215715(Facsimile ) E-mail:[email protected] WIPO/GEO/SFO/03/8 page 3 Backgroundandhistory 1. Teaisadrinkpreparedbytheinfusioninhotwateroftheprocessedleafoftheplant CamelliaSinensis.Dependingonthenatureofprocessingormanufacture,teacouldbe “green”,”black”,or “oolong”.Again,withinthecategoryofblacktea,therearetwomethods ofmanufactureleadingtotwovarietiesofblacktea -OrthodoxandCTC.Whileinthe Orthodoxmethodtheleafgoesthroughaprocessknownasrolling,intheCTCmethodthe leafissubjectedtocutting,tearingandcurling.Darjeelingteais,inmostinstances,ablack orthodoxtea,butsmallquantitiesofoolongandgreenteaarealsoproduced. 2. TheteaplantisindigenoustoChinaandIndia.ThoughnativeIndianteabusheshad existedinAssaminNorthEastIndiasinceancienttimes,anddespitereportsfromvarious earlyexplorersofteabeingdrunkbyIndians,itwasnotuntilthenineteenthcenturythattrue teacultivationandproductionbeganatthebehestoftheBritish ,whoruledIndiaatthattime. WithanestablishedhistoryofimportingChineseteaandwithongoingtradingproblemswith theChinese,inthe1830’stheBritishdecidedtostartgrowingtheirownteainoneoftheir colonies,India.TwoScottishbrothers,RobertandCharlesBruce,werethefirstonesto investigateandgrowteaplantsfromseedsoftheAssamteaplant.Today,Indiaistheworld’s largestgrowerofteawithatotalproductionof826.17Millionkilogramsintheyear2002. NearlyalltheproductionisblackteaunlikeChina,theworld’ssecondlargestproducerat715 Millionkilograms(Year2002),whichgrowsgreentea.Indiaisalsotheworld’slargest consumeroftea. 3. ThedistrictofDarjeelingissituatedintheprovince(state)ofWestBengal,India.Tea hasbeencultivated,grownandproducedinteagardensgeographicallylocatedintheseareas forthelast150years.Thegardensarealllocatedatelevationsuptoover2000metresabove meansealevel.Duetotheuniqueandcomplexcombinationofagro -climaticconditions prevailingintheregionandtheproductionregulationsimposed,suchteahasadistinctiveand naturally -occurringqualityandflavourwhichhaswonthepatronageandrecognitionof discerningconsumersallovertheworldforwelloveracentury.Thequality,reputationand characteristicsoftheteaisessentiallyattributabletoitsgeographicaloriginandcannotbe replicatedelsewhereresultinginDarjeelingTeabeingconsideredageographicalindication. Broadlythereare2factorsthatcontributetotheexceptionaltasteofDarjeelingtea –the geographicallocationandtheprocessing. Thegeographicallocation Altitude 700to2000metersnestlingintheshadowofthesnow- cladKanchenjungapeak Lat itude 26°31’and27°13’North Longitude 87°59’and88°53’East Rainfall Minimumof50”to60”p.a. Humidity Veryhigh Soil Richandloamysoil.Intheuplandsitisusuallyredand grittyandisresiduali.e.derivedfromtheweatheringof underlying rocksandrichinorganicmatterfromthe surroundingforestcover. WIPO/GEO/SFO/03/8 page 4 Gradientofslope 60°to70° Temperature 1.7to11.1°Camaximumof20°C Flavor ‘Muscatel’ SpringFlush(MaytoJune) Leafhaspurplishbloom.Liquorismellowandamberin colorwit hafruity(grapey)flavorcalledMuscatel. Processing 4. Theharvestingofthegreenleafisdoneexclusivelybyhandandnearlyallthepickers arewomen.Theteapickerspickonlythemosttenderofthetwoleavesandabud,before sunrise. 5. Pro cessingisbytheOrthodoxmethodyieldingwholeleafteas(asopposedtotheCTC –crushing,tearing,curlingmethod).DarjeelingTeais“blacktea”(asopposedto“greentea”, “oolongtea”).Theleavesareoxidizedfor2to4hours.Theteahasabrow nish -black,well - twistedappearanceandcontainsalotofgolden‘tip’.Incidentally,certainmorphological characteristicsoftheleafhavebeenfoundtobeassociatedwiththequalityoftea.Oneof themis‘tipping’ –‘tip’inteacomingfromhairybudsandleavesoftheplantwhichthe Darjeelingvarietyiswellendowedwith. 6. DarjeelingTeaisgradedasSFTGFOPwhichmeansSupremeFinestTippyGolden FloweryOrangePekoe(theothersleafygradesareflowerypekoe(FP),orangepekoe(OP), pekoe(P) ,pekoesouchong(PS)andsouchong(S)whichmeansveryhighqualityFOP (largesttealeaves)withlotsofgoldentipsofthebud’sleaves,“S”indicatesSupremelight coloredliquor. History 7. Thefoothillsofthehighestmountainrangeintheworld-theHimalayas,beginatthis regionandthesurroundingsofunforgettablesplendourprovidetheidealnursery.Beforethe BritisharrivedinIndia,theforestsoftheregion,knownasDarjeelingtoday,werehometoa handfulofLepchatribes.In1828,a youngCaptainLloyd,stumbledacrosstheregionandthe location,withthesnow-cladHimalayanpeaksasabackdrop,hesawthepossibilityof buildinga“hillstation,”orsanitarium.Thatwasthebeginningofthesettingupof Darjeeling,todayamajortouristattractionandknownallovertheworldforitstea. 8. ThefirstteaseedswereplantedinDarjeelingbyaDr.Campbell,aBritishdoctor,inhis gardenasanexperiment.Hewasreasonablysuccessfulinraisingtheplantandthe Government,in1847,electedtoputoutteanurseriesinthisarea. 9. Accordingtorecords,thefirstcommercialteagardensplantedoutbytheBritishtea interestswerein1852andalltheseplantationsusedseedsthatwereraisedintheGovernment nurseries. 10. Darjeelingwasthenonlyasparselypopulatedhamletwhichwasbeingusedasahill resortbythearmyandsomeaffluentpeople.Tea,beingalabourintensiveenterprise, WIPO/GEO/SFO/03/8 page 5 requiredsufficientnumbersofworkerstoplant,tend,pluckandfinallymanufacturethe produce.Forthis,employmentwasofferedtopeoplefromacrosstheborderofNepal. 11. By1866,Darjeelinghad39gardensproducingatotalcropof21,000kilogramsoftea. In1870,thenumberofgardensincreasedto56toproduceabout71,000kgsofteaharvested from4,400hectares.By1874,teainDarjeelingwasfoundtobeaprofitableventureand therewere113gardenswithapproximately6,000hectares. 12. GiventheoveralldistinctivecharacteristicsofDarjeelingtea,therearesubtl evariations acrossplantationsandacrosstheseasons.Trueconnoisseursandprofessional“teatasters” candetectnotonlythevariationinflavourthattheseasonsbringaboutbutalsothegarden fromwhichtheteahascome. CategoriesofDarjeeling tea: 13. EasterFlush(March -April):Itarrivesjustafterthedormantwintermonths.Theleaves aretenderandverylightgreenappearance.Theliquortooislight,clear,brightandimpartsa pleasantbriskflavor. 14. SpringFlush(May -June):This flushisfamedforitsprominentquality.Theleafhasa purplishbloom.Theliquorismoreround,mellowandwithmorecolor(amber)andhasa slightlyfruityflavour.Itisduringthisperiodthatthefamous“Muscatel”flavorbecomes pronounced.Ref erredtoas“springtimeteas”,theseteasyieldalightteawithadelicate aroma,flowerytasteandtheirastringentquality. 15. SummerFlush(July -September):Duringthisperiodthenatureoftheliquidchanges, becomingstronger,yetretainingthebrightnessandcharacterthatDarjeelingisknownfor. Thisflushproducesadarker,morefull -bodiedcupthatismoremellowandfruity. 16. AutumnFlush(October -November):theteaduringthisperiodhasalightcopperytinge andliquorshaveadelicatecharacter. 17. WinterMonths(December -February):Dormantperiodwithnoproduction. 18. AllDarjeelingteas,though,possessthelightnessofflavourandfinecolouringthatset themapartandabovefromallotherteas 19. TheDarjeelingteaindustry atpresentemploysover52thousandpeopleonapermanent basis- afurther15,000personsareengagedduringthepluckingseasonwhichlastsfrom MarchtoNovember.Auniquefeatureofthisworkforceisthatmorethan60percentare womenandemploymentisonfamilybasis. 20. Theincomeofagardenworkerishalfintheformofcashandtheotherhalfbywayof perquisiteswhichhaveovertheyearseffectivelyprovidedacushionagainsttheimpactof inflationandscarcities,-theworkersareprovidedwithfreeaccommodation,subsidised cerealrationandfreemedicalbenefits.Gardensusedtorunprimaryschoolswhichhave sincebeentakenoverbythegovernmentbutthebuildingscontinuetobemaintainedbythe gardenmanagement. WIPO/GEO/SFO/03/8 page 6 21. InthiscontextitmaybestatedthataGeographicalIndicationsregistrationand protectionwouldultimatelybenefittheplantationworker.Betterprotectionwouldultimately resultinbetterprices,bettereconomichealthoftheindustry,sustainableeducationalan d healthsystemsresultinginabetterqualityoflife. 22. Theteaproducedintheaforesaidregionandhavingthesaidspecialcharacteristics,is andhasforlongbeenknowntothetradeandthepublicinIndiaandabroadas“Darjeeling” teaandassuc hithasacquireddomesticandinternationalreputation.Thisreputationhasa history,ashasbeenexplainedabove,ofwellover100years.Anymemberofthetradeor publicinIndiaorabroadorderingDarjeelingteaorseeingteaadvertisedorofferedforsaleas Darjeelingwillexpecttheteasoordered,advertisedorofferedforsaletobethetea cultivated,grownandproducedinthedistrictofDarjeeling,province(state)ofWestBengal inIndiaandhavingtheaforesaidspecialcharacteristics.Th eyear2002markedthe150th year ofDarjeelingtea. 23. Darjeelingteaisthemostexpensiveandexoticallyflavoredtea.Connoisseurswill assertthatwithoutDarjeeling,teawouldbelikewinewithouttheprestigeofChampagne. “DarjeelingTea”is definedas: Location 24. Teawhichhasbeencultivated,grown,produced,manufacturedandprocessedintea gardens(currentschedulewhereofisattachedhereto)inthehillyareasofSardarSub- division,onlyhillyareasofKalimpongSub-divisioncompris ingofSamabeongTeaEstate, AmbiokTeaEstate,MissionHillTeaEstateandKumaiTeaEstateandKurseongSub- divisionexcludingtheareasinjurisdictionlist20,21,23,24,29,31and33comprising