Major output increases in China, Kenya and Sri Lanka will reflect in a 2.2% annual rise in global Black Tea production in a decade, total output volume reaching 4.4 million tonnes, a report had revealed recently.   

Accordingly releasing a new report about global tea consumption and production, Food and Agriculture Organization’s Intergovernmental Group (IGG) on Tea, revealed that China would reach the output levels of Kenya, the largest black tea exporter in the world over the next decade. The report further added that Global output of green tea is foreseen to increase at an even faster rate of 7.5% annually to reach 3.6 million tonnes in 2027, largely driven by China, where the production of green tea is expected to more than double from 1.5 million tonnes in 2015-2017 to 3.3 million tonnes in 2027.

The report, however, had warned producers of climate change threat to tea production as tea production is highly sensitive to changes in growing conditions.

“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,” the report said adding that 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.

“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, urges tea-producing countries to integrate climate change challenges, both on the adaptation and mitigation front, into their national tea development strategies.

While world tea consumption has increased over the last decade, traditional importing European countries, with the exception of Germany, have seen a decline in consumption levels, the report said adding that overall, the European tea market is largely saturated. Per capita consumption has been declining for more than a decade, facing competition from other beverages, particularly bottled water.

“Over the next decade, Western countries, in general, are expected to see lower consumption growth” report said. According to the report in the UK, for instance, tea consumption is projected to decrease as black tea struggles to maintain consumers’ interest amid increased competition from other beverages, including coffee. The report, which was finalized by IGG, at its biennial meeting in Hangzhou, China, suggests that tea consumption has also benefited from increased awareness about the beverage’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and weight loss effects.

“Such health and wellbeing benefits are seen as the key drivers of future consumption growth” the report highlights.