Here in England, tea is my main drink—no coffee for me. First thing in the morning I sip tea made with a tea-bag and add a dash of milk. Another follows after breakfast and a third accompanies lunch. But it's not only the fermented tea I enjoy. I like a mug full of fennel tea followed by mixed berry tea later in the afternoon. My husband and I drink peppermint tea with our evening meal. These last drinks are probably more beneficial.
The global sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future launched a new program today. The Future of Tea – A Hero Crop for 2030.
· Next to water, tea is the world's most popular drink.
· More than 3 billion cups of tea are consumed every day across the world.
· Tea was first produced in China more than 5,000 years ago.
· Tea contains half the amount of caffeine found in coffee.
· Worldwide consumption of tea grew by 60% between 1993 and 2010. Since 2002 tea prices at auction have more than doubled as global demand has grown faster than production.
· Next to tourism, tea is India's biggest industry.
· Tea production is often more energy intensive than steel production.
· Seven multinational corporations are responsible for 90% of the tea market.
· Thirty-five countries around the world produce tea. Three quarters of the world’s tea is produced in just five countries: China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
· The tea plant is very sensitive to climate conditions, and yet the countries where it is grown are amongst the most vulnerable to future climate change. So serious are these threats, that some of the world's biggest tea companies are joining forces to combat them.
How about you? Do you like tea?