Carbon neutral tea production in China
21 May 2021, Rome. It may come as a surprise, but it has been estimated that by driving half a mile in the average car you may be emitting the same amount of CO2eq as drinking a cup of tea! At between 200 and 6 g CO2eq per cup, the tea you choose to drink is making an impact on your carbon footprint.
Looking to establish more sustainable tea value chains, and to celebrate International Tea Day 2021, FAO in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has published ‘Carbon neutral tea production in China: three pilot case studies’, a new report presenting a methodology for Greenhouse gas accounting (GHG) and mitigation opportunities in tea production.
The report is based on research carried out by CAAS’s Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture (IEDA) in cooperation with CAAS’s Tea Research Institute (TRI) following the different production models followed in three tea gardens in China, Dabu in Guangdong Province, and Longquan and Songyang in Zhejiang Province.
The report states that the tea industry and its value chain generate about 15 to 19 kg of CO2eq for each kilogram of tea produced, attributable to different stages in the tea value chain. At the same time, tea itself is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, particularly to extreme temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns.
As the largest producer and consumer of tea in the world, China is collaborating with FAO to develop a framework and minimum standards for sustainable tea production.
“This report presents the first advances in carbon neutral approaches for sustainable agricultural development in the tea sector, and more work on this will be carried out through a Germany-China-Kenya-FAO project in Kenya” said Olivier Dubois, FAO Senior Natural Resources Officer.
The report first introduces China's tea production and trading status, reviewing the impacts of climate change on tea production, and summarizing adaptation and mitigation measures taken to address climate change challenges. It then presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to measure GHG emissions in three pilot areas, from cultivation to consumption, which provides the scientific basis to identify potential offset measures. It describes the importance of developing carbon neutral minimum standards for tea production and concludes by presenting a pathway towards a more sustainable tea value chain, and policy recommendations to ensure an enabling environment is in place.
Depending on the variety of the tea plant, the amount of GHG emissions from processing technologies and production differ. For example, more than half of the emissions come from cultivation and harvesting at one of the pilot sites, while in another, emissions mainly come from tea processing. Potential measures to reduce emissions can depend on the type of fertilizer used, improving energy efficiency during cultivation and processing, as well as the use of clean renewable energy such as solar, water and wind power.
The report proposes a pathway to achieve carbon neutrality in the tea sector through three steps. The first is to measure GHG emissions, the second to adopt adaptation and mitigation measures and the third is to create an awareness and interest in the importance of carbon neutral tea. To do this the report emphasizes the importance of introducing both technological innovations and carbon neutral certification schemes that also justify any increase in price for climate conscious customers.
Regular exchanges within and between tea producing countries through South-South Cooperation was also identified as being particularly important.
Kenya is the world’s third tea producer and the largest tea exporter. It is already laying the groundwork to standardize a carbon-neutral approach to tea production and build a tea sector that has a reduced environmental impact and is more resilient to climate change.
“Many countries and producers of commodities such as tea from around the world are moving towards carbon neutrality and sustainability. FAO’s work and support to countries will help make agri-food systems an integral part of the global carbon-neutral future” saysDeputy Director of FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, Zitouni Ould-Dada, who is part of FAO’s initiative on low carbon commodities, that includes coffee, milk and rice.
Learn more:
Webpage: Carbon neutral commodities
Publication: Carbon neutral tea production in China: three pilot case studies
Publication: Kenya’s tea sector under climate change: An impact assessment and formulation of a climate smart strategy