Tea, a dried leaf–infused beverage derived from the leaves of a small shrub originally from China, has become the world’s second most popular beverage after water. With 3 billion cups consumed every day across the world Tea is the most popular and cheapest beverage.
It is consumed by a range of age groups in all levels of society. A cup of tea contains only 4 calories, a low energy beverage. Tea includes polyphenols, alkaloids, amino acids, carbohydrates, proteins, chlorophyll, volatile organic compounds, fluorides, aluminum, minerals and trace elements. The major interest in tea and health come from the high level of antioxidant tea polyphenols in green tea and black tea.
Discovered about 2700 BC, it is one of the oldest beverages in the world. Today it is available for consumption in six main varieties, based on the oxidization and fermentation technique applied. The tea crop has rather specific agro-climatic requirements that are only available in tropical and subtropical climates.
One group of chemicals thought to be responsible for the beneficial health effect of tea are the polyphenol, which include a group of plant chemicals named Catechins. This type of antioxidant may protect cells in the body from oxidative damage that may lead to cancers. Increasing interest in the health benefits of tea has led to the addition of tea extracts in dietary supplements and functional foods.
While tea is produced in more than 35 countries, only a handful-China, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka are responsible for almost three-quarters of production and, indeed, more than half of the world’s tea is produced in China and India alone.
Despite its importance to developing countries, the tea sector is faced with a number of constraints. In a review of six major tea producing countries (India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Vietnam and Malawi), Sanne van der Wal (2008) reported that tea production is hindered by rising production costs (labour, fuel and electricity), mismanagement, age of tea bushes, high overhead costs, bad agricultural practices, low labor productivity, climate change and dilapidated infrastructure.
Despite this positive projection, the tea industry faces important challenges that are unique to the sector. Access to tea-processing facilities is essential for tea estates and smallholder tea farms to remain viable, as picked leaves need to be processed within 6 hours. Therefore, international tea manufacturers have established their processing plants close to the fields, which has created a vertically integrated value chain. In fact, the tea supply chain is controlled by a small number of companies, which has resulted in a high level of vertical and horizontal integration: approximately 85 percent of tea is sold by a few multinational companies, and 20 percent of the global market is controlled by the three largest tea companies. Consequently, it is necessary to establish a more equitable wealth distribution across tea supply chains to improve the sustainability of the sector.
Furthermore, 70 percent of global tea production is sold via auctions through anonymous transactions, in which intermediaries can easily switch between suppliers, pushing down prices and reducing margins for farmers. Tea cultivation areas are also geographically limited, as tea is a sensitive crop that requires specific growing conditions to thrive. Climate change is also expected to affect temperature and rainfall patterns, which can significantly impact yields. Tea estates are already reporting heavier rains and longer dry seasons leading to increased soil erosion and further use of fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation to maintain productivity. Additional challenges facing the tea sector include forced and child labour, which are still rampant; poor tea plantation working conditions; low wages; and pesticide residues in the final product.
The IGG report also warns that tea production is highly sensitive to changes in growing conditions. Tea can only be produced in narrowly defined agro-ecological conditions and, hence, in a very limited number of countries, many of which will be heavily impacted by climate change.
Changes in temperature and rainfall patterns, with more floods and droughts, are already affecting yields, tea product quality and prices, lowering incomes and threatening rural livelihoods. These climate changes are expected to intensify, calling for urgent adaptation measures. In parallel, there is a growing recognition of the need to contribute to climate change mitigation, by reducing carbon emissions from tea production and processing.
The report, therefore, urges tea-producing countries to integrate climate change challenges, both on the adaptation and mitigation front, into their national tea development strategies.
Sustainable agriculture addresses environmental and social concerns, but also offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for growers, labourers, consumers, policymakers and many others in the entire food system. Concerns about sustainability focus on the necessity to adopt technologies and practices that do not have adverse effects on the environment, are easily accessible to and effective for farmers, can lead to improvements in food productivity and have positive side-effects on environmental goods and services.
To enhance sustainability of smallholder tea production, farmers need to acquire skills and knowledge about good agricultural practices and how to implement them as well as on how to respond to new situation as farming environments change (Deugd et al., 1998). Application of good agricultural practices is knowledge intensive and requires a facilitated learning process that banks on the creativity and competence of farmers, extension workers and researchers.
BY STAFF REPORTER
The Ethiopian Herald May 25/2021
