Behind Turkey’s Tea: Immigrant Labor on the Black Sea Slopes

Turkey is one of the world’s leading tea producers, with the northeastern Black Sea region—especially Rize—offering ideal climate and terrain for high-quality tea. Harvested three times each summer on steep, humid slopes, tea picking is physically demanding work that has long relied on foreign labor. In the early 2000s, Georgian seasonal workers filled this role, but currency changes have shifted the workforce.

Today, Afghan immigrants make up the majority of tea harvest laborers. Many, fleeing conflict and poor living conditions, work informally in Turkey, where undocumented employment is widespread amid economic strain. Tea garden owners say low purchase prices from the state tea company Çaykur leave them with few options. Afghan workers earn around 1,400–1,500 liras per day during harvest season, while some tea gardens have also become tourist attractions, offering scenic views to local and Arab visitors—highlighting a stark contrast between leisure and labor in Turkey’s tea industry.