Tea in a forest, produced by Lorenzo Barbieri
Like someone selling ice to the Eskimos, here is the story of a man from the Oltrepò wine tradition who decided to produce tea in China: Lorenzo Barbieri. Graduating from Bocconi in 2007 with a degree in Marketing and Management, Barbieri moved to Beijing that same year to work at the Italian Chamber of Commerce. "In a nutshell, my job was to promote Made in Italy products in China", explained Barbieri, as he described how his passion for Eastern cultures was initially sparked by literature. His life changed quite a bit after a trip to an area on the border with Burma and Laos in Southern China, which is inhabited by ethnic minorities. There he met the locals and explored the beautiful tropical forests on Mount Nannuo, which is renowned for producing a select tea called Pu'er, which involves a process of fermenting and maturing green tea. "Nobody spoke English and even Mandarin isn't spoken much," said Barbieri, "but while I am definitely a foreigner there, even these people feel, in a way, like they are foreigners in China." This unique situation paved the way for the birth of an organic tea company - Eastern Leaves – which was founded by Lorenzo Barbieri and his wife, a Chinese woman he met during a language course. "At first we purchased about 34 acres of land on the mountain, and later we expanded our property, adding a tea plantation where red and white varieties are produced along with the precious Pu'er."
The first crop was harvested in 2014, and this excellent variety of tea made its debut at the Beijing Design Week in September 2015. "When we purchased the land, we signed a bill of sale with all members of the 34 families who owned this area of land. Everyone accepted our offer because we promised that we would do everything in our power to conserve this region." This particular border area is subject to speculations. The local independent prefecture also intervened in the agreement: "they gave us a 10 thousand euro non-repayable loan, because this area is part of a conservation program which rewards companies that support this land's prestigious tea". Not only does Eastern Leaves produce organic tea itself, but it's also actively involved with the local community as it hopes to "convert the entire mountain into organic cultivations". Setting its sights on Europe, Barbieri's project will soon establish a company branch in Hong Kong in order to develop its export sales.
Lorenzo Barbieri is one of the over 500 Bocconi alumni present in China - where on March 11, in Shanghai, will be held the 4th edition of the Bocconi Alumni Global Conference.
Click here to learn more about the Bocconi community in China and read the stories of other alumni living there