(University of Oregon, 2020-02-27) Dewan, Anudeep; Valiani, Arafaat
Darjeeling Tea is one of the most expensive types of tea sold today. It has a Geographical Indication (GI) Status that brings it under the intellectual property regime. The tea is valued for the cultural category it signifies, beyond its utility. This research investigates how recognition as a GI product has helped in fetching these premiums, and what meanings are being produced by analyzing how the tea is represented in images and words by different actors. This research reveals that the value of Darjeeling Tea is inextricably tied to meanings of authenticity and rarity that have existed long before the GI status was introduced, and the contradictions produced in the different ways these meanings are produced and values are created, revealing the complex web of capital, human behavior and power structures that span across space and scale.
