Impact of Climate Change on Geographical Indications: The Case of ‘DarjeelingTea’ and ‘Assam (Orthodox)’ Tea

Abstract

Geographical Indications (GIs) are crucial in vesting the area-specific products in their unique identity and promoting the still existing practices in their region of origin. ‘Darjeeling Tea’ and ‘Assam (Orthodox)’ Tea, both of which are GIs and India’s most reputed teas, set benchmarks globally with their attributes. But these famous items are increasingly under threat because of climate change which is affecting the climatic factors instrumental in their production and quality. This paper analyses climate change as it relates to ‘Darjeeling Tea’ and ‘Assam (Orthodox)’ tea, their legal, agricultural, and economic perspectives. The problem of increasing temperatures, irregular rainfalls, and changing seasons with the quality, the production and the taste of the teas, which, in turn, could pose a risk to their GI status and their market. The research paper further evaluates the present GIs protection frameworks in India and other jurisdictions so as to determine their effectiveness in the face of climate change. Some of the suggestions include more legal measures to enhance the protection of these teas such as improvement of climate adaptation mechanisms, enforcement of GI law, and international efforts aimed at reducing the adverse effect of climate change on GI products. This research therefore attempts to explain the impact of law on the sustenance of ‘Darjeeling Tea’ and ‘Assam (Orthodox Tea)’ in relation to their specific issues of vulnerability to climate change.