Curriculum Tea, Coffee, Rubber and Spices
Tea, Coffee, Rubber and Spices
The economics of India's plantation and spice crops: colonial origins, tea auctions and small growers, Darjeeling's geographical indication, garden workers, coffee and its price cycles, natural rubber, the spice trade, cardamom and pepper, cashew processing, commodity boards and the road ahead.
- The Plantation Economy How colonial-era plantations for tea, coffee and rubber were set up in India, how they were organised, and their lasting economic legacy. 📄 Read-aloud
- Tea Auctions and Small Tea Growers How Indian tea is sold through auctions, why small growers now produce about half of India's tea, and how prices are set. 📄 Read-aloud
- Darjeeling Tea and the Value of a Name How Darjeeling tea became India's first geographical indication product, why the label adds value, and the challenges of fake tea and falling output. 📄 Read-aloud
- Life and Wages in Tea Gardens Why tea garden workers earn some of the lowest wages in India, how the Plantation Labour Act works, and debates over wages and benefits. 📄 Read-aloud
- India's Coffee Story How India grows coffee under shade in the Western Ghats, why most is exported, and how coffee culture is growing at home. 📄 Read-aloud
- Boom and Bust: Commodity Price Cycles How global supply shocks like Brazilian frosts drive coffee and other commodity prices up and down, and how growers manage the risk. 📄 Read-aloud
- Tea, Coffee, Rubber and Spices: Checkpoint 1 Quick checkpoint - five questions on plantations, tea auctions, Darjeeling, tea workers and coffee. 5 questions
- Natural Rubber and Kerala's Growers How natural rubber production centres on Kerala smallholders, why India imports rubber for tyre makers, and the tension between growers and industry. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Spice Trade: From Muziris to Today How Indian spices drew traders from Rome to Europe for centuries, and how India remains the world's largest spice producer and exporter. 📄 Read-aloud
- Cardamom and Pepper Markets How cardamom and pepper are grown and auctioned in India, why competition from Guatemala and Vietnam matters, and how prices swing. 📄 Read-aloud
- Cashews: Processing and Imports How India became a hub for processing cashews, why it imports raw nuts from Africa, and the labour behind cashew processing in Kollam. 📄 Read-aloud
- Commodity Boards: Tea, Coffee, Rubber and Spices What India's commodity boards do for plantation crops, from research and promotion to regulation, and debates about their role. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Future of Plantation Crops How climate change, costs, labour and branding will shape India's plantation crops, and a recap of the module. 📄 Read-aloud