Because of tea’s significance in the biome, economy and culture of many countries in the world, the United Nations declared 21 May International Tea Day for the first time in 2020. For its third annual observance, here are three perspectives on tea in the modern world.
The grower (Sri Lanka)
Following on the heels of the pandemic, the political and economic unrest in Sri Lanka has reverberated throughout its tea industry – but there have been surprising upsides.
In 2020, the Sri Lankan government put tea production – a US$1.3 billion annual export – on hold temporarily as part of its pandemic response. Out of that came innovation, says Chaminda Jayawardana, the owner and managing director of Lumbini Tea Valley estate.
“We faced a huge problem with the auction systems because we were having the auctions in an open hall with all the people gathering. After that actually they had this idea to have the online auctions. Within two, three weeks’ time we created an online platform for the auction system in Sri Lanka to sell about 24 million kilos of tea.”
Apart from that, the key obstacles of the past two years have been a doubling in shipping costs and a shortage of shipping containers. Then came the government ban on fertiliser, part of its plan to force its agriculture sector to go organic. This has culminated in food and diesel shortages, which have thrown the government and economy into crisis.
Jayawardana acknowledges that perhaps a more gradual phasing out of fertilisers would’ve been more popular and effective, but is not unhappy with the tenet of the action. While yield is down, quality is up, and in time he hopes this will become standard for Ceylon tea. “We can change the direction of the tea industry in Sri Lanka.”
The sourcer (China)
China-born, US-based Vincent Liu, the developer behind the MyTeaPal app, is currently in China sourcing tea for MyTeaPal’s associated tea subscription service. China has been wracked by a series of city- and region-wide lockdowns as the pandemic continues, which has affected its harvest this year.
“Labour from countries bordering the south of Yunnan [for example, Burma] cannot enter Yunnan to pick tea, so the labour cost has increased as a result due to the low supply,” Liu notes. “Also, some Chinese tea pickers who often travel across provinces cannot go to certain tea regions due to restrictions. This happened to Fuding [in Fujian province] when it suffered from a round of pandemic [restrictions] last month.”
The result is that tea pickers either worker longer and harder hours or the tea is not picked in a timely manner. And the price of tea is more expensive too, says Liu.
On a macro level, demand for tea has also dropped. “Tea sales are generally fewer, particularly as one of its major sources is corporate gifting as companies are cutting their budgets. Overall, individuals probably also reduce their spending on tea if it’s not a necessity for them,” he says.
Liu is fortunate to be in China at all – many foreigners who would usually head to China on tea-sourcing trips have not been able to go as borders have been periodically shut in recent months.
The consumer (Australia)
International Tea Day falls on the Australian federal election day this year and David Lyons, founding director of the Australian Tea Cultural Society, says it’s the perfect beverage “to take the edge off six weeks of campaigning and what will be a trying day for many”.
There are many physical and mental health benefits consumers can attain from drinking tea, but a simple cuppa can have a wider global impact, he reminds us. “While the federal election will decide the future of Australia, International Tea Day has far-reaching effects that encompass many more people around the world. It’s a day which can help reduce extreme hunger, empower women, contribute to the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and so much more.”
This article originally appeared in AUSTCS enews 21 May 2022. Mailchimp no longer allows external links to the original newsletter.