A yearlong fellowship is allowing one recent graduate to transform academic research into a global, community-driven initiative, bridging environmental sustainability, agriculture and international markets.
As part of the Stronach Prize program at the University of California, Berkeley, Shreya Chaudhuri began her work in August, expanding on a senior thesis focused on agroforestry in India’s tea sector. The project has since evolved into a hands-on effort to support farmers while building a direct-to-consumer tea brand rooted in sustainability.
“I was lucky to get the opportunity to continue my thesis project…and this project is essentially the next phase of that research,” she said.
At the core of the project is agroforestry, the practice of integrating trees and shrubs into agricultural systems. This can improve soil health, biodiversity and long-term resilience for farmers. “My research is mostly about agroforestry within India’s tea sector, and how we can support farmers in that transition,” Chaudhuri explained.
The fellowship has pushed the work beyond theory. Now, Chaudhuri is collaborating directly with farming communities to launch a tea brand in the United States. Profits from the brand will be reinvested into those same communities to fund agroforestry transitions.
“We’re building a farmer-to-consumer tea brand…and with that funding, we’re reinvesting in the community to support farmers in their agroforestry transitions,” she said.
The model aims to address a key gap in sustainability efforts: while demand for ethically sourced products continues to grow, farmers often lack the financial and structural support needed to meet those standards.
Chaudhuri first learned about the Stronach Prize program as a freshman and was inspired by past participants who brought academic research into real-world settings. “I was really inspired by the way they took their research… and were able to apply that within the community,” they said. “I always wanted to take my thesis into the field.”
Now midway through the fellowship, the experience has been both professionally and personally transformative. Spending extended time in India has allowed Chaudhuri to connect with farmers, activists and their own family history.
A central theme of the research is challenging common misconceptions about sustainability in the global tea industry. “It’s easy to go to a boba shop in the U.S. and ask for organic or fair-trade tea,” she said. “But it’s much harder to be a farmer dealing with land loss, soil contamination and no real support for making that transition.”
Chaudhuri hopes her work will bring greater awareness to these disparities and highlight the lived realities behind consumer products.
“There are so many complexities on the ground that are almost impossible to understand unless you’ve been there,” she said. “It’s important to tell those stories.”
After completing the fellowship, Chaudhari plans to pursue graduate studies in environmental policy and economics while continuing to develop both the tea brand and a nonprofit focused on decolonial climate education. “I want to keep building out the brand and continue the research,” she said.
Ultimately, the project represents a broader effort to align research, business and community impact, demonstrating how academic work can extend far beyond the classroom.
“This fellowship gave me the opportunity to make that connection,” she said, “and I’m really grateful for that.”