In Nepal, the torrential rains have caused significant damage. Our thoughts are with all those affected. It is often the poorest who lose the most.

Fortunately, our friends the tea farmers are rarely at risk from overflowing rivers. Tea grows on higher ground and does better on mountain slopes than down in the valleys where the soil is too wet for Camellia sinensis. But after a particularly heavy monsoon, landslides can sweep away roads, homes and lives. Entire mountainsides can collapse in a mudslide, causing many casualties.

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. Not only is it subject to severe flooding, it also suffers some of the worst earthquakes. All the more reason to remember our friends in this ancient Himalayan kingdom, home to many remarkable small tea producers. They depend on us for their livelihood. So let’s brew a cup of one of their delicious teas and think of them, each in our own way.