International Tea Day

Not to be confused with National Tea Day in the UK on 21st April, International Tea Day is an awareness day with a difference. Held on 21st May, it is celebrated globally and has been established by no other than the United Nations themselves. The day was set up to “promote and foster collective actions to implement activities in favour of the sustainable production and consumption of tea and raise awareness of its importance in fighting hunger and poverty.”

“It’s not about posting a pretty picture on Instagram”

This is a lot more than posting a pretty picture of a cup of tea on Instagram with the hashtag #internationalteaday nor is it an opportunity for companies to sell more tea. It has been set up for a very serious reason. The UN has published a longer document but to save you reading it, I have summarised below.

The goal behind International Tea Day feeds in with their 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Tea is normally grown in developing countries which have serious plights facing them such as poverty, hunger and lack of rights. I say ‘normally’ because it isn’t the case for all but the large majority would fall into this category. Ultimately, the goal of the day is to stimulate some thought when you are sitting on your sofa drinking that cup of tea. How did it reach you? Did the person who picked the leaves or used the machines get paid a decent wage? How are they treated as a worker? Is the tea grown in a sustainable way?

Sustainability

Tea is often grown in unique weather conditions, known as the terrain, which is very hard to replicate. If we take Darjeeling as an example, it is highly unlikely that anywhere in the world could imitate those weather conditions which gives the tea such a unique taste. As we continue to abuse our planet, a lot of the tea regions will change. This means that even if we still are able to produce tea there, the taste will be totally different.

Cultural Significance

Growing up in the British Isles, it is part of our culture to offer someone a cup of tea when they come into your home. We Brits aren’t alone as tea is an important symbol in many cultures across the world. The day aims to promote awareness of this culture but also highlight the many health benefits of tea.

Economic Development

Recognizing that the tea industry is the main source of income and export revenues for some of the poorest countries and, as a labour-intensive sector, provides jobs, especially in a remote and economically disadvantaged area. Helping workers While we sometimes begrudge paying an extra few pounds for more expensive tea, the point of this day is to highlight the difficult conditions the workers have to endure. To help eradicate extreme hunger by providing equality for all workers but also to recognise the empowerment of women. I hope the next time you buy tea you stop to consider its journey to you. I always check the policies on tea companies websites to find out where they actually get their tea from and if it is a reputable source. I plan to do more research into the ‘Fair Trade’ stamp and find out how much money the workers actually receive.

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