By 2028, more than 2,00,000 tea and coffee workers and their families in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala will benefit from improved vision through an ambitious initiative by VisionSpring Foundation and the United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI). The partnership, under the ‘Livelihoods in Focus’ outreach programme, aims to provide vision screenings and corrective eyeglasses to enhance productivity and quality of life.
The programme is tailored to boost the productivity and earning potential of tea, coffee, cocoa, and artisan communities by addressing uncorrected refractive errors and other vision impairments. Clear vision is critical for agricultural workers, whose tasks often require precision and directly impact the economy.
A 2018 study published in Lancet found that providing eyeglasses to tea garden workers increased productivity by up to 32 per cent.
The study was done among tea pickers aged 40 years or older in Assam. Notably, it was found that workers' income was tied to their productivity. The study found that “productivity increase was achieved in this rural cohort by providing glasses to correct presbyopia, with little cost and high intervention uptake”.
“Many plantation workers suffer from vision problems. Through onsite eye camps, we aim to address this urgent need for vision care and profoundly impact the lives of tea and coffee workers across Southern India,” said Anshu Taneja, managing director of VisionSpring Foundation.
This initiative builds upon the 3,50,000 tea and coffee workers and community members that VisionSpring Foundation has served to date.
By addressing vision challenges, the programme also aims to uplift the economic prospects of these regions, says UPASI secretary-general Sanjit Nair.
Established in 1893, UPASI is the apex body for planters of tea, coffee, rubber, pepper, and cardamom in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.
“Vision correction for tea and coffee workers is a step that not only improves productivity and income but also aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By empowering individuals to perform better at work, pursue education, and participate more fully in community life, this initiative places worker well-being at its core. It complements the welfare and medical facilities already provided free of cost by plantations,” said Nair.