Tea industry must meet sustainability challenges, experts say
Experts from 30 tea producing and consuming countries urged to strengthen sustainable production practices to ensure future growth of the industry. Speaking at the 5th Global Dubai Tea Forum 2014, representatives from China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey and Iran identified rising production costs and environmental sustainability as two of today's major challenges. Some of the measures discussed include soil improvement, water and pest management, as well as planting shade trees and complementary crops. Participants also discussed the importance of coordinating any strategic decisions with small farmers worldwide, which represent approximately 73% of labor and around 60% of the output.