The aromas and flavors of popular Indian teas permeated the halls of the United Nations headquarters as India hosted a special event to commemorate International Tea Day to highlight the beverage’s contribution in empowering communities and fostering inclusive economic growth.
The Permanent Mission of India to the UN hosted the high-level event Wednesday on the theme ‘Tea for Livelihoods, Tea for SDGs’ to mark the International Tea Day, a celebration of the world’s most consumed drink, after water.The event concluded with a special curated tea tasting experience where guests enjoyed a variety of Indian teas, including the famous Darjeeling tea, Masala chai, Assam and Nilgiri teas.India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, Director of the FAO UN Liaison Office in New York Angelica Jacome, and representatives of Kenya, Sri Lanka and China, the other major tea producing countries, spoke on the occasion and highlighted the challenges faced by the tea growers, especially the small tea farmers.
“The story of tea in India is not merely one of trade and taste but also one of transformation. What began in the early 19th century from the misty hills of Assam to the slopes of Darjeeling and Nilgiris, India’s tea industry has grown to become a cornerstone of rural employment, women’s empowerment and export-led development,” Harish said at the houseful event attended by UN envoys, senior UN personnel and community members.
The UN General Assembly had in 2019 proclaimed May 21 as International Tea Day following a proposal moved by India at the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Intergovernmental Group (IGG) on Tea in October 2015.The UNGA resolution recognised the long history and the cultural and economic significance of tea around the world, as well as the significant role it plays in rural development, poverty reduction and food security in developing countries.
India is one of the largest producers and consumers of tea globally and the sector directly employs over 1.5 million workers, the majority of whom are women. It supports over 10 million livelihoods, including small landholder farmers and those engaged in allied industries.“For many of these communities, tea is not merely a crop. It’s a way of life, a source of dignity, opportunity and hope,” Harish said.He also pointed out the complex challenges faced by the tea industry. “Climate change is disrupting growing conditions and then, there are rising input costs,” Harish said, adding that market volatility and structural inequities threaten the economic viability of small producers who are responsible for over 60 per cent of global tea production.
“There’s also an urgent need to improve working conditions and secure equitable returns, both for labourers and growers. Addressing these challenges requires not only policy action, but innovation and ability to think out of the box,” he said.Harish told the audience that the 1911-founded Tocklai Tea Research Institute in India has introduced the Tocklai good agricultural practices, good manufacturing practices standard in 2022, the first ever sustainability certification crafted and adopted in India to usher in a climate resilient tea industry.
“It integrates good economic, agricultural practices and manufacturing practices and aligns the process with UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) for transformational change in the Indian tea industry,” he said.Harish added that in India, technology – from AI-driven climate forecasting to drone-based crop management to blockchain — is also being harnessed increasingly to modernise the tea sector and the entire value chain.
FAO’s Jacome noted that despite tea’s vital role in socioeconomic development, there are pressing challenges that must be addressed. These include climate change, limited market access and poor access to credit and technology, she said.“Smallholder farmers are the backbone of the industry, and they’re particularly vulnerable. Urgent actions are needed to strengthen their business models while also taking into account environmental and social factors,” she said.
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