I’m a tea aficionado. I’m always looking for that perfect cup of tea and brewing method. It excites me, I love the flavor, and I am grateful for the healthy benefits I receive. But the reality behind tea isn’t so perfect.
As the tea market gains a foothold in the United States, farmers have had to monocrop this commodity on a larger and larger scale, which, as with anything, puts an intensive strain on the soil and surrounding environment. And that’s only part of the problem: with the demand for about 4 million tons of the product world-wide, the market has certainly boosted global shipping emissions.
Let’s see how tea interacts with the environment a bit more.
Tea and the Environment
Packaging varies with each brand, and some will just have a tin with loose leaf tea. (This is perhaps the best packaging to opt for.) Often, though, tea comes in individual packets (many of which are not recycable or biodegradable). Above anything, the problem with packaging is seen in the sheer mass of resources it requires. Shipping those packages, especially from places like Asia, also means more carbon emissions.
Despite both packaging and shipping tea from around the world being taxing on the environment, the bigger concern is clearing of land for tea orchards. A number of other issues come with the increase in land size, making growing tea production a serious problem. Not only are native species being driven from their homes, but with more area to cover, companies are spraying more pesticides and using more artificial fertilizer.
One notable difference with tea, though, is that many consider it a “sustainable crop.” That is, unlike other crops that require being ripped out of the ground and freshly planted, tea plants reside in the soil without need of yearly replacements. This is specifically due to the fact that one only harvests the leaves from the top of the plant, which can remain viable for years and years.
Nevertheless, the fact that tea is burdening the environment is understood among the growers.
Because of the issues, many are switching to organic growing of tea leaves where they forbid the use of synthetic pesticides and artificial fertilizers. Although the problem with monocropping remains, the soil, water, and air are treated much better comparatively speaking. Furthermore, the product is healthier for the consumer, meaning more reasons to love tea.
Reasons to Love Tea
Despite the environmental dilemmas that arise with tea, there are still reasons to love it. In addition to often being a “pure” beverage that requires little to no additives and processing, tea is also very healthy for people. Green tea is especially hailed as a healthy drink, being rich in antioxidants. Plus, with a little caffeine, green tea is great for that extra focus.
By and large, though, there are basic benefits that come with all styles and blends of tea:
- Very calming, which helps achieve mental balance
- You do not need to add other ingredients/sugars unless you want
- Simple and quick to make
- High polyphenol content in green tea (as well as some others) may help reduce the risk of cancer, though more research is required
The solution to the problem of growing tea starts with consumers demanding more sustainable growing methods. Organic is one option, but it should be complemented with an effort to develop strategies around monocropping. Fair labor practices are also a must, largely because much of the worlds’ tea is grown where standards are harsh. As individuals, we can also begin to drink less tea and conserve what we have. Unfortunately for me, that means not getting a cup everywhere I go just for the taste.
While I’m not a fan of that solution, sustainability has to begin somewhere. Perhaps I’ll start growing my own tea!
June 25, 2011 at 1:50 pm
if its affecting the enviroment, MAYBE YOU SHOULDNT BE DRINKING IT. That means YOU’RE affecting the enviroment TOO !!!!!!!!!!
June 25, 2011 at 3:21 pm
EVERYthing affects the environment, everything has a carbon foot print. The best thing you can do is find a way to counterbalance that foot print or to make it as small as possible. What happens to the millions of people depending on the income from working in the tea industry should everyone stop drinking it? What would be a better crop for these farmers to make their living off of that doesn’t affect the environment? Look at the big picture, not at the now.
June 25, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Great point! Everything truly does have a footprint to be aware of. However, by focusing on the now, we may be able to find new strategies that reduce the footprint of this form of agriculture. The same business can be run on difference practices if done thoughtfully enough. I don’t think one should be quick to accept or dismiss problems simply because they exist in the present and are engrained in the status quo of things.
June 25, 2011 at 4:22 pm
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June 25, 2011 at 4:40 pm
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July 7, 2011 at 5:10 pm
OK, so if demand is causing the problem, maybe I don’t need 4 or 5 teabags a day. Maybe I can get by with one. Maybe I can buy loose tea in tins and refill from a place that sells bulk. Maybe I can make my own tea in the summer using mint, hyssop, lemon verbena, etc. from my garden. There are lots of intermediate steps I can take that can alleviate the strain I put on the resource. And if we all do that, perhaps we can make a difference.
December 3, 2011 at 5:20 pm
As others have commented, everything has an environmental impact. Everything the human race has ever done since the beginning of time has had an impact, pre-industrial societies often had practices that were worse than what people are doing now. The bad news is, in part, that there are so many more of us. The good news is that people have begun to care. The better news is that many large corporations are beginning to realize that sustainable business practices help their bottom line.
Articles like this that lay out the environmental impact of some very specific thing are incredibly valuable–not for viewing with alarm as if the sky is falling if it isn’t exactly neutral, but for exploring ways to mitigate whatever bad effects there are. I don’t care for tea. Just don’t touch my chocolate. But I suspect that has the same issues. I can avoid individually wrapped mouthfuls. I can get a big candy bar and develop the self-discipline not to eat it all at once. I can make hot chocolate from cocoa instead of a mix. That helps some. As shippers learn to cut fuel costs by planning routes better, that helps even more.
People who want to clean up the environment would do well to cheer people on instead of scolding, to highlight and celebrate improvements more than fear mongering about the problems.
December 17, 2012 at 7:04 am
its great that we drink tea but we areaffecting the enviroment as well we should considder it and buy less but only what we need ot want
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