New Study Says Most Professionals in Tea and Related Industries Underprioritize Sustainability When Stocking Tea
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A new report from Firsd Tea, the largest importer of Chinese tea in the U.S., finds most professionals in tea and related industries underprioritize sustainability when stocking tea inventory—even with 80% of this group worried about the effects of climate change on business operations. Firsd Tea Sustainability Perspectives 2022 is the first study to gauge opinions of tea sustainability among associated industry professionals.
“This finding is surprising to me. We hear so much from our customers about the importance of sustainability. I look forward to better exploring what is behind this potential disconnect between customer concern for sustainability and business purchasing priorities,” Firsd Tea marketing director, Jason Walker, explains. Respondents listed flavor (96%), leaf grade (90%) and origin/terroir (88%) as the top three characteristics that contributed to their decisions to stock particular tea types. These considerations are followed by demand (86%), consistency of supply (84%) and price (83%). Sustainability (79%) ranks seventh in the list of factors influencing tea-stocking decisions.
Sean Cash, PhD, Bergstrom Foundation professor of global nutrition in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, says, “The results of this compelling survey indicate that representatives of the tea industry are keenly aware that their sector is threatened by climate change, and to a greater extent than many other crops. This clearly supports the urgent need for collaborations that will help protect and support the future of tea for years to come.” Dr. Cash is a co-principal investigator with Tea & Climate Change Collaborative, an interdisciplinary and cross-institutional project team that researches the effects of climate change on tea quality and socio-economic…
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