By Fatima Saka
International Tea Day is a memorial world event to showcase the economical, biological and physical benefits of tea, to promote and foster deliberate actions to implement activities in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs), production and consumption of tea, also to create awareness in fighting hunger and poverty.
It is often celebrated on 21st of May every year which started in 2020 in accordance with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO), and was adopted on December 21st, 2019.
International Tea Day aims at drawing global attention of governments and citizens to the impact of the global tea trade on workers and growers which has been connected to requirements for price support and fair trade.
Theme of 2022 International Tea Day is “Tea and Fair Trade ” which laid the economical actuality of tea, in the areas where it has been grown, these areas are languishing in poverty.
For more clarity, Tea according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a beverage made from the camellia sinensis plant. (Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrubs or small trees in the flowering plant family Theaceae), its leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. Common names are “tea plant”, “tea shrub”, and “tea tree”.
Tea is next to water, is the second most used drink in the world, it is a natural green leaf which is 100% herb, healthy to humans health benefits.
The essence of the theme is to create awareness among the people, to draw the attention of the financial outcomes of tea in the poor areas of the world which are the major producer of this crop.
However, research has shown the numerous health value and benefits of teas, it boosts the immune system, it fights off inflammation to antioxidants, weight loss effect, and even cancer and heart disease, which according to experts said plenty and regularly drinking tea can have a lasting impact on human wellness.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, tea is one of the most important cash crops and it plays a significant role in rural development in reducing poverty and food security in exporting and developing countries. It is also a principal source of livelihood for millions of smallholder producers.
Meanwhile, in Africa Tea producing countries include Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa which produces about 30% of world exports amounting to some 514,742 tonnes of made tea.
While, in Nigeria Tea is produced on the serene and idyllic Mambilla plateau in Taraba State in the northern area of Nigeria. About widespread production of tea leaves from over 6000 farms.
