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The future of the Indian tea industry lies in steeping sustainability
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Saturday, 03 June, 2023, 15 : 00 PM [IST]
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Parimal Shah
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Tea is a staple in Indian households. The country rules the roost on the world stage, as it produced more than 1.3 million tonne of tea in FY 2021-22, second only to China. About 83% of the annual tea production in 2022 was from the northern part, mainly Assam and West Bengal, and the remaining 17% was from the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. As much as tea is our favourite beverage, it is important to understand that the tea industry has some long-lasting impacts on the environment. Climate change is a reality, and there is no option but to deal with it head-on.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals have given a major push to the Indian tea industry, which is thriving to achieve sustainability by making changes at various levels of its operations. Besides, the government has been at the forefront of enhancing the potential of small tea growers by helping them climb up the value chain and adding value to the tea for better price realisation. Let us have a look at the different sustainable approaches that leading tea-producing companies are making use of and how these are paving the way for a better future.
Using AI and data-driven technologies
Indian tea has suffered a setback due to the delivery of high-quality tea by competing nations such as Kenya and Sri Lanka. To overcome this challenge, the industry has embraced AI, ML, and data-driven technologies. While AI is increasingly becoming a norm in all major industries, why would the tea sector remain aloof from the tremendous benefit that it carries? Wondering, how it is possible? Well, allow me to break the ice. Fine leaf counter is one name for it. With this model in place, human capital can be utilised for other tasks that necessitate a human touch. This cutting-edge technology calculates the percentage of fine leaves and also aids in detecting the leaves’ surface moisture, a key parameter for the acquisition of a high-quality product. Just so you know, fine leaf percentage is the most important part that gives the tea the aroma that we all go head over heels for.
Solar panels (but better!)
Among tea producers, solar power is the preferred choice among alternative sources of energy. We are aware of the humongous benefits of solar panels in the tea industry. The game has only been made better with the advent of agrivoltaics: the next generation of solar panels. This setup brings with it the added advantage of the lesser requirement of land for the installation of the solar panels as here the same can be done on the farmland. This, therefore, forms a sustainable tea plantation.
Following good agricultural practices
The welfare of the workforce needs to go hand in hand for a tea manufacturer to succeed and spearhead the market. Leading players do so by boosting the rate of adoption of good agricultural practices (GAPs) and enhancing the profitability of smallholder tea producers. Undertaking measures to ensure that the biodiversity of the land remains intact is one of the ways tea producers can help maintain local ecological balance. Producing a range of crops in addition to tea is a plus and will reap benefits when tea sales are poor. Known as agroforestry, this practice is a game-changer for the fertility of the soil as well.
Efficient handling of post-production waste
Dealing with post-production waste is a daunting task for tea producers. While the traditional practice to get rid of waste is to burn or dispose of it in landfills, tea developers are now becoming increasingly conscious of the impact of their actions on the environment. Many are now actively engaged in converting waste into useful products. Besides sustainably managing waste, this strategy strengthens the circular economy. In line with the waste-to-wealth initiative, low-cost adsorbents can be produced from heaps of post-production waste. Adsorptive materials such as activated carbon, biochar, nanocomposites, and hydrogels, which are effective in cleaning the environment, are a few of them.
Takeaway
Climate change is playing havoc in our lives at an alarming rate. It is high time every industry made drastic changes to curtail the disaster to reach a place from where there is no turning back. To achieve sustainability, the Indian tea industry is making a breakthrough by adopting practices that leave behind a minimal carbon footprint. Be it about the source, production, processing, or post-production, making amendments at various pathways is the only way forward.
(The author is founder & CEO, Cherise India Pvt Ltd)
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