Sustainability

Overview

Due to the long history of tea, it has been riddled with exploitation and Non- sustainable methods for humans and our environment.

A cup of tea can emit -6g to 200g of Carbon Dioxide into the Atmosphere

Tea can both be good for the environment through sequestration or damage it due to farming processes. Such as the drying process. It traditionally uses coal to fire the leaves which outputs a lot of coal.

Sustainability Challenges (Environmental)

Social Challenges

From an environmental point of view, the biggest challenges tea farming faces come from the use of pesticides, reducing residual waste from processing and growing the plant, transportation, and the drying of the leaves and the tradition of using coal.

The tea industry just like many others suffers from poor labor conditions. Slavery in this industry is hard to define because a lot of workers are not only confined due to the job but also because of the poverty that keeps them there. Unfortunately, cases of human trafficking can still be linked to the production of tea.

Overall solutions

This 25-minute documentary depicts what people around the world are doing in an effort to reduce emissions along with advocating for workers' rights.

Farmers in India use the biomass from tea leaves to form pellets to replace coal which is not only good for the environment but also is cheaper and allows better wages for the workers.
Certain farmers in Georgia created a fully organic farm with programs that promote local and global tea transportation that are more CO2 friendly.

The most important goal is education......

Other groups such as RISE do travel around to different parts of India to continue teaching about sustainable farming and better farming practices. Overall education is one of the most important parts of solving climate change

Weather and Climate

Typically tea is grown in climates of approximately 21 degrees Celsius, which is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that it generally needs a warmer climate. In India, this is ideally Monsoon season. An increase in rainfall in neccessary for tea to thrive and grow.

Soil and Earth

Hilly, mountainous areas are crucial for the growth and mountainous of tea with soil that is porous and full of calcium and nutrients. Soil that contains soil that is leaning toward being more acidic is extremely important as well.

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