Fertilizer Crisis | Tea Day | India Auction Mandate

Fertilizer Crisis | Tea Day | India Auction Mandate

From Tea Biz by Dan Bolton

May 15, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of the fertilizer crisis on tea quality and yields, highlights International Tea Day events, and features an interview with Michael D. Ham on regenerative farming practices.

Fertilizer Shock Threatens Tea Quality, Yields, and Costs | International Tea Day Events Expand Across Global Markets | India Pushes Ahead with Contested Tea Auction Mandate NEWSMAKER – Michael D. Ham, CEO of Wild Orchard Tea PLUS | Regenerative Farming Begins by Doing Less Regenerative agriculture has become one of the tea industry’s most discussed concepts, but definitions often remain vague. Producers, traders, and brand owners generally agree that healthier soils and more resilient ecosystems matter. The harder question is what regenerative farming actually looks like in practice on a working tea farm. For Michael D. Ham, the answer begins with restraint. On Jeju Island in South Korea, Wild Orchard Tea grows tea without irrigation, synthetic fertilizers, or intensive intervention. The objective is not simply sustainability, but long-term biological resilience. In this SPOTLIGHT conversation, Ham discusses soil microbiology, biodiversity, root depth, and why the tea industry may need to rethink how it measures success beyond short-term yield. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out…

People in this episode

Host: Dan Bolton

Guest: Michael D. Ham

Topics covered

  • fertilizer crisis
  • tea quality
  • regenerative farming
  • tea auction mandate
  • sustainability
  • biodiversity

Keywords

  • fertilizer crisis
  • tea quality
  • regenerative agriculture
  • sustainability
  • biodiversity
  • tea auction
  • International Tea Day

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wild Orchard Tea

Places: India, Jeju Island

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