Why consume tea?
The Camellia sinensis plant is used to produce tea. After water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the globe. It is believed that tea originated in northeast India, north Myanmar, and southwest China, but the precise location is unknown. Tea has existed for a very long time. There is evidence that tea was ingested 5,000 years ago in China.

Tea production and refining is a major source of income for millions of families in developing nations and is the primary source of subsistence for millions of impoverished families residing in a number of least developed nations.

As a labor-intensive industry, the tea industry is a major source of income and export revenues for some of the world’s impoverished nations, as well as a major employer in remote and economically disadvantaged regions. As one of the most important cash commodities, tea can play a significant role in rural development, poverty reduction, and food security in developing nations.

Due to the beverage’s anti-inflammatory, weight loss, and antioxidant properties, tea consumption can promote health and well-being. Furthermore, it has cultural significance in numerous societies.

International Tea Day Reiterating the call from the Intergovernmental Group on Tea to direct greater efforts towards expanding demand, especially in tea-producing countries where per capita consumption is relatively low, and supporting efforts to address the declining per capita consumption in traditional importing countries, the General Assembly designated May 21 as International Tea Day.

The Day will promote and nurture collective actions to implement activities in support of the sustainable production and consumption of tea, as well as raise awareness of its significance in the struggle against hunger and poverty.

Tea and global warming
Tea production is extremely susceptible to alterations in cultivation conditions. Tea can only be grown in very specific agroecological conditions and, consequently, in a small number of countries, many of which will be severely affected by climate change.

Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, as well as an increase in floods and droughts, are already impacting yields, tea product quality and prices, decreasing incomes and endangering rural livelihoods. The anticipated intensification of these climate changes necessitates immediate adaptation measures. Concurrently, there is a growing awareness of the need to reduce carbon emissions from tea production and refining in order to contribute to climate change mitigation.

Therefore, tea-producing nations should incorporate both climate change adaptation and mitigation into their national tea development strategies.