Tea brews a way out of poverty for Yunnan farmers

The highest price for premium tea was only 30 yuan ($4.36) a kilogram at that time, while good quality tea was mostly priced at 4-5 yuan a kilogram, according to Ren.

"Most of tea farmers were living in extreme poverty," he says.

That's when Ren made up his mind to try and change things in the tea industry.

"It was not just because the tea industry was not developed, but more about working to help tea farmers who live off the land to get out of poverty," says Ren.

Before moving into the tea industry, Ren's company North Star had already been a force to be reckoned with in Yunnan, with its booming tourism and jade businesses.

He established the Kunming Colorful Yunnan King-Shine Tea Industry Co in September 2006.