Kenya, which produces half the black tea drunk in Britain, faces more floods, droughts and rising temperatures, Christian Aid says. Beyond ruining the lives of countless tea growers, the report says optimal conditions for Kenyan tea production will be slashed by 26 per cent by 2050.
Richard Koskei, 72, a tea farmer from Kenya’s Western Highlands, said: ‘We cannot predict seasons anymore… if this continues then it will make growing tea much harder.’
Other major tea-producing countries including India, Sri Lanka and China, the world’s largest producer whose green tea is growing in popularity in the UK, also face rising temperatures and new weather extremes, the report said.
A changing climate could hit the taste of tea, as increasing amounts of rain produce inferior quality leaves, and reduce the compounds that make the brew beneficial to health, the report warned. Big British tea brands and the Fairtrade Foundation have also raised concerns about the impact climate change is having on tea growers and the future of production.
