Report of the Working Group on Climate Change of the FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea

India produces approximately 24 per cent of the global tea production and accounts for around 21 per cent of the worldwide tea consumption. As high as 80 per cent of the tea produced in India is consumed domestically.

Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala are the leading regions in India when it comes to tea production. As per December 2013, Assam has 304.40 thousand hectares under tea cultivation, followed by West Bengal with 140.44 thousand hectares, Tamil Nadu with 69.62 thousand hectares, and Kerala with 35.01 thousand hectares.

The tea industry in India is a significant source of employment ranking as the country's second-largest employer, giving work to over 3.5 million people.

India has historically produced only black tea. The Tea Board of India controls tea production, certification, exports and all other facets of the tea trade in India.

According to estimates, over the past century there has been an increase of approximately 1.3°C in the average minimum temperature in Northeast India.

Annually, 15-20 per cent of the crop is damaged in the tea plantation areas in Northeast India. This is due to various forms of waterlogging, including surface waterlogging, localized waterlogging, and profile waterlogging. This is made much worse because of continual floods.

The report recommends the use of cattle manure at a rate of 3-5 tonnes per hectare per year.

At present, Sri Lanka has approximately 205,000 hectares of land under tea plantations spread across 14 administrative districts. The majority, about 75 per cent of the total area is dedicated to cultivating vegetative propagated (VP) tea cultivars.

Sri Lanka ranks as the fourth largest tea producer globally, accounting for approximately 7 per cent of the world's tea production. Over 90 per cent of the tea produced in Sri Lanka is exported.

Tea production in Kenya is primarily driven by small-scale growers, who contribute around 65 per cent of the total output, while large estates account for the remaining 35 per cent.

In the tea-growing regions of Kenya, evidence of climate change is evident through various indicators like the rising trend of hail and frost, fluctuations in rainfall patterns, temperature rise. This leads to the decline in tea yields.

Recommended adaptation measures for Kenya include adopting recently developed clones specifically bred to withstand drought and thrive in harsh environmental conditions. Additionally, implementing soil and water conservation techniques, as well as undertaking field management practices to minimize the impact of droughts and frost incidences are also proposed.

China is the largest tea-producing country in the world, the report states. In 2014, the total land area dedicated to tea cultivation in China was 2.65 million hectares, resulting in a production of 2.10 million tons of tea. These figures made up 60.6 per cent of the global tea area and 40.6 per cent of the world's tea production.

In China, increased levels of carbon dioxide have impacted the quality of tea. Elevated carbon dioxide concentrations at 500 and 700 μmolmol were found to decrease tea amino acid content by 1.7-4.5 per cent and 6.7-12.2 per cent, respectively. Similarly, the caffeine contents also reduced by 3.1-4.6 per cent and 5.1-10.7 per cent respectively.

The report notes that effective adaptation and mitigation strategies should encompass three key levels: government policies, advancements in technology and techniques, and community engagement for the widespread implementation of such measures.

Focus and factoids by Daanish Narayan.