Report Feasibility study organic bitter tea Cao Bang - Helvetas

Feasibility Study Organic Bitter Tea in Cao Bang: 2007
but also in Syria and Lebanon. Ilex guayusa is used both as a stimulant and as an admixture
to the hallucinogenic tea "ayahuasca". The leaves of I. guayusa have the highest caffeine
content of any known plant in the world. In North and Central America, Ilex vomitoria was
used by the Native American Indians as a ceremonial stimulant and emetic known as the
"black drink". As the name suggests, the tea's purgative properties were one of its main
uses, most often ritually. (Wikipedia)
Research at the Triet Giang Agriculture University in China found that there are 16 amino
acids belonging to saponin compounds in fresh bitter tea leaf. These amino acids strengthen
the metabolic process in the human body and are closely related to the body’s nutrition
structure. Other scientific investigations defined that leaves and buds from bitter tea contain
many ingredients that can effectively:
reduces blood lipid and cholesterol levels
regulates blood pressure
enhances bile excretion
has a tranquillizer effect
assists heart function, and inflammation relief
has a detoxifying effect, and alcoholic toxin relief
stimulates digestion
have a diuretic effect
In China, Ku Ding Cha has been known for hundreds of years and was first described in
1765 in the "Bencao Gangmu Shiyi". One of the main growing locations for Ilex is in
Guangxi Province of south-western China. The oldest Ilex tree is found growing there: it is
about 30 meters high and has grown for centuries. Guangxi has about 1,400 hectare of Ilex
kudingcha trees under cultivation. In 1997 an Institute was established in Guangxi to
research and develop Ku Ding Cha and other local medicinal plants (Dharmananda, 2002).
Ilex kaushue is an evergreen tree species that grows in the natural forests in Cao Bang. Its
height varies from 20-30m and the diameter is up to 0.6m. The moist, limey and rocky
mountain areas above 600m are suitable for bitter tea growing. In 1996, Chinese buyers
purchased a vast quantity of fresh bitter tea leaves and young branches collected from the
Cao Bang forests, and started intensive production campaigns in China oriented especially
to local and export markets. In Vietnam, national and provincial researchers started
investigations on the medicinal properties of bitter tea. Moreover, large cultivation and
reforestation with this evergreen tree could help protect watershed areas, the soil and the
environment. Since Cao Bang has large areas of forestland and a favourable climate for
bitter tea growing, the tree has been considered as a potential cash crop to help Cao Bang
farmers escape from poverty.
The Vietnamese government, particularly the Cao Bang provincial authorities,
then started with a bitter tea plantation project program (under DOST) and the
opening of a factory in Cao Bang (the BTC under DOST). The province has
invested in the development of bitter tea plantation, processing and marketing.
Cao Bang bitter tea has gradually become well-known particularly in the local
market and apparently also has a high potential for the export market (EU,
Japan and Korea). However, these markets have not been targeted very
intensively yet, mainly because of a lack of bitter tea supply (which does not
- 2 -