(Tiny Tips) – What’s the Tea? – A regular cup of tea requires one-eighth the amount of water as a cup of coffee, but tea is not an environmentally friendly beverage. In fact, the carbon footprint of tea and coffee production is almost the same. But the way your tea is made has less of an impact on its footprint than the way you drink it. It may be impossible to make a truly sustainable cup of coffee, but a little education on your tea choices can make it easier to shop your values. Here’s what you need to know about tea.
What’s the Tea? Brewing a More Sustainable Cuppa
Farm
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization launched a project in Kenya last year to support the production of climate-neutral tea. Another initiative, Tea2030, covers all areas of tea production. But currently, most tea is grown on chemical-intensive farms that contribute to deforestation, erosion and pesticide pollution. Monoculture farms compromise soil health, making plants more susceptible to disease and leading to more intensive use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Half of 62 teas tested by the FDA in a 2015 study contained pesticide residues.
The use of biological control instead of fumigants to control soil nematodes; site-specific fertilization programs or organic farming; and the introduction of shade trees in plantations are all ways to reduce the impact of tea growing.
People
Tea is a labor-intensive crop that needs to be harvested by hand. It is grown around the world, with China, India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka being the largest producers. China’s 15 million small farms, which produce half of the world’s tea, have low awareness of the dangers of agrochemicals. Two-thirds of Kenyan tea farmers are also smallholders, with few employees (some of whom may be children). By contrast, three-quarters of India’s tea (particularly in Assam) is still produced on near-feudal plantations with a history of human rights abuses, particularly against women. But low wages, pesticide contamination, and brutal working conditions persist everywhere.
Most tea is still purchased in bulk by multinational corporations. Only local processing has grown significantly in Sri Lanka, but this has not led to direct trade opportunities or improved working conditions.
Processing
Processing tea produces slightly more than half the carbon of growing it.
Withering, drying, sorting and packaging tea requires more energy than producing a kilogram of steel. This is often due to the use of older, inefficient machines that run on diesel generators or even firewood. Market mechanisms such as fair trade can shift profits along supply chains, thereby increasing efficiency.
Certifications
International projects such as the Ethical Tea Partnership work to improve the lives of tea farmers and their growing methods, but are invisible to consumers. Choosing certified tea is the best way for consumers to promote sustainable tea growing and processing.
USDA Certified Organic
Organic certification ensures that tea is grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals. In 2020, the USDA proposed strengthening supervision and enforcement throughout the supply chain, which could have a significant impact on products such as tea. Organic standards do not explicitly protect farmers or regulate the waste generated by farms and processors.
Rainforest Alliance
After merging with UTZ in 2018, the Rainforest Alliance developed a new system that prioritizes context and progress over standards. The new certification guarantees “sustainable differential” compensation to tea farmers, bans deforestation, and promotes sustainable agricultural techniques.
Fair Trade USA
Until 2011, Fair Trade USA was the U.S. subsidiary of Fairtrade International. Despite the shortcomings, Fair Trade America has awarded nearly $7 million in incentive payments to improve tea-producing communities. It prohibits child labor and forced labor but does not provide a 100% guarantee.
Fairtrade America
Fairtrade America became the U.S. subsidiary of Fairtrade International in 2013. The focus is on some food, including tea. There is a significant overlap between Fairtrade America’s standards and Fair Trade USA’s standards. The minimum price Fairtrade tea farmers receive varies depending on location and production method, as well as bonuses for farm reinvestment.
Drinking Habits
The environmental impact of afternoon tea doesn’t end with the purchase decision. With 6 billion cups of tea consumed every day, the largest source of carbon emissions is the way you drink it. Since cattle farming is very carbon-intensive, eliminating milk could save tea two-thirds of its carbon emissions.
The energy used to boil water will vary, but more important is how much water is boiled. Boiling more water than necessary doubles the climate impact.
Perhaps surprisingly, waste disposal does not have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the tea. It’s still best to reuse tea bags whenever possible. But be warned: Unless specifically labeled compostable, most “paper” tea bags contain up to 30% plastic. To avoid waste, it is recommended to use loose tea leaves.
After all, tea production, like coffee, not only contributes to climate change but is also threatened by it. So don’t just stop at the cup—every action you take to reduce your carbon footprint makes the world a better place.