Special Effort to Attract Tea From Lesser Known Tea Lands
By Dan Bolton
AVPA is a non-governmental, non-profit organization mainly composed of producers and taste enthusiasts. AVPA’s annual Teas of the World contest offers more value than a medal. Services include tasting workshops, technical support, and distributor staff training.
During the past six years, the organization has elevated the status of tea and herbal producers, large and small, not only on the global stage but in their local markets. Teas must be traceable from origin and cannot be chemically flavored. A technical jury of professionals evaluates the teas, followed by a gastronomic jury of enthusiasts that mirror consumer preferences. The deadline to enter is Aug. 31, 2023.
Register at AVPA.FR (Agence pour la Valorisation des Produits Agricoles)
Over the last five years, there’s been a steady increase in how many producers entered the competition, says Ksenia Hleap, Development and Communications Director at AVPA. “Last year, we had more than 300 participants, 33% more than the previous year,” she said.
This year is very rich in possibilities for us. We are in contact with all producing countries for monovarietal, infusion blends, and herbal teas. Unfortunately, not all tea boards respond. The difficulties sometimes are just the way of communication because we contact the tea boards in every country. We are also contacting the associations and tea cooperatives. So, it depends on the countries and their desire to promote tea producers,” she said.
Hleap said the product recognition in Paris, the capital of gastronomy, gives contest winners a big possibility to communicate about this, to showcase the logo of the medal on their packaging, and to promote their tea or their products all over the world but first of all in their local market because this is an international recognition. Even those who do not earn a medal benefit, she explains.
“All our participants are winners because they dare to register for the contest and sell their products. Unfortunately, not all of them are winners this year, but they will probably be next or another because they are doing a very great job. They are putting their hearts and time into what they are doing,” she said.
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Ksenia Hleap manages development and communications at AVPA (Agence pour la Valorisation des Produits Agricoles)
CVC Capital Partners may sell Kenyan tea estates purchased from Unilever in July 2022
Episode 129
CVC Capital Partners Exploring Sale of Kericho Tea Gardens: Unilever Brands Not for Sale
| Dunkin’ Will Soon Begin Selling Hard Tea at Select US Grocery and Packaged Liquor Locations in 12 States | A Study Using UK Biobank Data Shows Tea May Lower the Risk of Gout
Phil Rushworth, one of the owners of Ottawa-based ZhenTea, loves adventure camping, canoeing, climbing, and hiking. This week, he describes teas and techniques to help tea lovers enjoy special moments in the great outdoors.
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Phil Rushworth, co-founder of ZhenTea, Ottawa, Canada
Turmoil Makes Kericho Tea Estates a Highly Visible Liability for Investors
By Dan Bolton
The private equity group that paid 4.5 billion Euros for Unilever’s tea business in July 2022 is discussing the sale of the Kenyan gardens and factories supplying its popular tea brands, including Lipton Tea and Infusions, according to the Financial Times,
The newspaper reports three sources with detailed knowledge of the CVC Capital Partners’ plans.”The Kericho plantation has a history of violence and sexual abuse allegations. Protests in recent months led to the death of one tea worker, torching several tea harvesting machines, theft of tea, and acts of vandalism.
A Lipton spokesperson quoted in the news report said the company had received a number of unsolicited inbound expressions of interest in our estates and would “review this strategic question at the right point in time.”
The spokesperson said that if CVC sold the plantation, it would retain the rest of the business, which processes and markets tea under several brands, including PG Tips, Brooke Bond, and Pukka Herbs.
In January, BBC Africa aired a documentary following an investigation of abuse involving more than 70 women allegedly forced into sex to get jobs on plantations owned by Unilever and James Finlay & Co. Unilever said it was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the behavior in the documentary. Kenyan authorities are investigating the allegations, which immediately led to the firing of some individuals, barring others from its facilities, and “comprehensive support for any affected women on our estates,” according to Lipton’s spokesperson.
BIZ INSIGHT – Finlays announced the sale of its James Finlay Kenya Ltd. tea gardens to Sri Lanka-based Browns Investments in May. The nine Finlays tea estates cover 10,300 hectares, including 5,200 hectares of land under tea. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Headquartered in Colombo, Browns owns 49 Sri Lankan gardens spanning 30,000 hectares and employs over 10,000 workers.
Dunkin’ Launches Hard Iced Teas and Coffee
Dunkin’ Will Soon Begin Selling Hard Tea (but not at restaurants)
By Dan Bolton
In May, the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved labeling for Dunkin’ Spiked, a new line of hard tea and coffee in cans and bottles available online in grocery and packaged liquor stores in 12 US states beginning in August.
A Dunkin’ release states, “We knew we had the opportunity to create something special when we saw the positive response to our previous seasonal collaborations for Dunkin’-inspired beers. The growing appetite for adult beverages inspired us to put a twist on our customers’ favorite Dunkin’ Iced Coffee, Iced Tea, and Refresher flavors,” said Brian Gilbert, Vice President of Retail Business Development at Dunkin’. “Dunkin’ Spiked is perfect for day or night enjoyment and comes in eight distinct flavors, available in grocery and package stores later this month. This new line of ready-to-drink adult beverages elevates Dunkin’s offerings, and we know our 21+ fans will love every sip.”
The 5% ABV tea will be available in four coffee and tea variations. The Dunkin’ Spiked website displays “iced tea refreshers” in four flavors: slightly sweet, strawberry dragonfruit, mango pineapple, and half & half in 12oz cans, along with original iced coffee, caramel iced coffee, mocha iced coffee, and vanilla iced coffee. The iced coffee versions are 6% ABV and will be available beginning in September. There is a signup form to be alerted to locations where the tea is sold.
Retailers across Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont will initially sell the hard teas and coffee. Dunkin’, founded in 1950, operates 13,200 restaurants in 42 global markets, with 9,461 in the US. It is the largest coffee and donut brand in the US. The spiked teas and coffees will not be available at restaurants. Formats include:
A 12-can mix pack (three 12 oz. cans of each flavor)
Four-pack of 12 oz. Original Spiked Iced Coffee cans
Single 19.2 oz. Original Spiked Iced Coffee cans
BIZ INSIGHT – Market leader Twisted Tea recently launched an 8% ABV Extreme tea, Lipton and Arizona Iced Tea are now selling hard teas, Monster is expected to launch a hard tea soon, and Ohio-based Wild Tea now offers 9% ABV Black Cherry Bourbon Barrel and Strawberry Pineapple flavors. For the first time, hard teas are leading the US’s FMB (fermented malt beverage) category, wresting the segment from hard lemonade. RTD cocktails are gaining market share as hard seltzers slipped from a high of $4.3 billion. Hard teas increased dollar sales by 38.7% to $385 million YTD, according to BEVNET.
Gout (inflammatory arthritis)
Tea May Lower the Risk of Gout
By Dan Bolton
Tea flavonoids may reduce the risk of developing gout, according to a peer-reviewed analysis published in the July edition of the journal Frontiers in Genetics.
Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis leading to recurrent joint pain caused by the accumulation of needle-like uric acid crystals. It affects 1-2% of adults in the developed world at some point in their lives and is becoming more common. As reported in HCP Live, “gout often impacts a patient’s mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Treatment includes exercising, weight loss, limiting sugary drinks, and medication.”Chinese researchers described a causal relationship between tea intake and gout based on a Mendelian randomization study of the UK biobank. Three datasets each revealed that a greater tea intake reduced gout, and a fourth statistical examination revealed that those with low tea intake had a higher risk of gout. The datasets were drawn from the long-term biobank study of 500,000 volunteers aged 40 to 69, which began in 2006 and will continue for 30 years.
Researchers speculate that “tea flavonoids may inhibit xanthine oxidase, an enzyme involved in uric acid production, while another is that tea flavonoids may improve uric acid excretion by the kidneys. However, since observational studies may have numerous confounding factors, large randomized controlled trials are required to determine the effects of tea intake on gout.”Different types of tea, such as green tea, white tea, and black tea, may have distinct chemical constituents and may result in different effects on gout, but researchers concluded, “These findings underscore the potential advantages of increasing tea intake for preventing gout.”
References
Liang X, Cai J, Fan Y. Causal association between tea intake and risk for gout: a Mendelian randomization study. Front Genet. 2023;14:1220931. Published 2023 Jul 13. doi:10.3389/fgene.2023.1220931
Guo, H., Wang, S., Peng, H., Wang, M., Li, L., Huang, J., et al. (2023). Dose-response relationships of tea and coffee consumption with gout: A prospective cohort study in the UK biobank. Rheumatol. Oxf., kead019. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kead019
FEATURES
ZhenTea co-owner Phil Rushworth on tea in the great outdoors
Taking Tea in the Wilderness
By Dan Bolton
When studio executive Phil Rushworth married Zhen Lu, he became part of an established Chinese tea family. His mother-in-law, Jianli Wu, is a nationally certified tea art specialist, taster, and appraiser with more than 25 years of experience in the tea business. She has authored five books on tea. The couple live in Ottawa and visit China frequently. Phil has a background in science and engineering and brings his unique “scientific” perspective, focusing on the mechanism and chemistry of tea and its processing. Although a relative newcomer to Chinese tea, Phil explains that he has gradually understood the nuance of teas cherished in China. He describes his work at ZhenTea as a bridge between science, intuition, and Western and Eastern culture.
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Phil Rushworth, co-founder of ZhenTea, Ottawa, Canada
| Sustainable Practices are Correlated to Brand Loyalty | JDE Peet’s Will Halt Sales of its Best-Known Tea Brands in Russia | The UN Global Peace Council Honors WomenServe Founder Nioma Narissa Sadler
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Hear the Headlines | Seven-minute Tea News Recap
PLUS
The recently concluded International Plantations Sustainability Summit hosted by The World of Hayleys in Colombo, Sri Lanka, last week encouraged tea professionals to visualize “Reimagined | Redesigned | Resilient” large-scale tea plantations in Sri Lanka and beyond. Forum attendees, at the invitation of Hayleys Plantations Managing Director, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai, forged new pathways for collaboration and integration of Sustainable Development Goals into modern plantation strategies.
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Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai with Anuruddha Gamage, General Manager of Human Relations & Corporate Sustainability at Kelani Valley Plantations
Forum Offers Long-term Solutions for Tea Plantations
Anuruddha Gamage, the General Manager of Human Relations & Corporate Sustainability at Kelani Valley Plantations, spent the past two years identifying ways to integrate the BIO (Biosphere), GEO (Geosphere), SOCIO (Social), and ECONO (Economy) elements of sustainable tea. Participants, drawn from government, academia, NGOs, and research institutes, met in pre-summit workshops to identify the unique, sustainable factors that define the long-term solutions for current challenges. He reports that climate change was top of mind.
As the architect of the summit, Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai seized what he called “a unique opportunity to bring together stakeholders to share best practices and drive long-term change.”
Sustainable Practices are Correlated to Brand Loyalty
Sustainable practices and ethical sourcing top the list of consumer trends. According to Market Research, health, and wellness rank third among the top five.*
As environmental concerns continue to gain prominence, consumers are becoming more conscious of their impact on the planet. This shift in consumer behavior has led to a rise in the demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products. According to market research firm GlobalData’s report titled: IImpact of Ethics and Sustainability on Brand Loyalty – Consumer Survey Insights, a wide array of forward-thinking consumer goods companies are implementing sustainable practices and adopting ethical sourcing strategies.
“There is a correlation between consumers’ level of brand loyalty and a brand’s commitment to ethical and sustainability matters,” the report’s authors explain.
“However, inflationary pressures and the rising cost of living may weaken brand loyalty as consumers are further incentivized to switch to cheaper alternatives,” reads the report. The influence of ethics and sustainability on brand loyalty have age gaps, decreasing in mature age groups. Younger consumers are more likely to exert brand loyalty to products and services that are ethical and sustainable.
“Higher incomes are more able to pursue loyalty,” but for brands that support social and human rights matters, “brand loyalty does not seem to be income-level dependent.”
Products such as tea that cater to individual well-being and address specific health concerns also contribute to brand loyalty. According to GlobalData, “In recent years, health and wellness have become paramount for consumers seeking to lead a balanced lifestyle.”
The importance of wellness impacts a broad range of product categories, including beauty, pet products, food and beverage, and household care, writes GlobalData.
The report’s authors suggest brands adopt sustainability and ethics sourcing to generate brand loyalty amongst consumers.
Consumers are more loyal to brands that support green and environmental matters than those that support social and human rights matters.
Leading brands in all categories support sustainability and ethics to generate consumer brand loyalty.
Younger consumers are more likely to exert brand loyalty to products and services that are ethical and sustainable.
During the cost-of-living crisis, there is an ongoing battle with consumers staying loyal to brands or switching to cheaper alternatives.
BIZ INSIGHT – The top five consumer trends are Sustainable Practices and Ethical Sourcing, Digital Transformation, and e-Commerce Dominance, the Health and Wellness Revolution, No. 4 is personalization and customization, and No. 5: the rise of Influencer Marketing.
Tea aisle at Moscow supermarket, September 2022
JDE Peet’s Will Halt Sales of its Global Tea Brands in Russia
Netherlands-based JDE Peet’s, a maker of 50 popular tea and coffee brands, will market only local brands in Russia after the first of the year, according to Reuters.
During a July earnings call, JDE CEO Fabien Simon explained to investors that if the company abandoned its business operations, “we would risk our assets and our intellectual properties would be nationalized by the Russian state or given to third parties in Russia.”
Reuters writes that analysts consider transitioning to local-only brands a logical move. “They don’t want to damage their international brand portfolio profile,” writes Barclays.
The sale of coffee and tea, considered essential foods, fully complies with sanctions.
The company has an ethical responsibility to its employees worldwide, including in Russia, where it employs more than 900 workers at Saint Petersburg and Novosibirsk manufacturing facilities.
JDE Peet’s best-known brands include Pickwick Tea, Mighty Leaf Tea, Peet’s Coffee, L’Or, Gevalia Coffee, Tassimo, and Douwe Egberts. The company’s teas and coffee are sold in 100 markets in three tiers: local, regional, and global.
BIZ INSIGHT – Last month, Moscow took control of France’s Danone Essential Dairy and Plant-based subsidiary after seizing the Carlsberg beer company’s stake in a major brewery. Hundreds of European food and beverage suppliers, including global brands Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo, have withdrawn from the Russian market. Ekaterra rebranded as Lipton Tea & Infusions and closed its tea-packing factory in St. Petersburg in 2022. The exodus has not led to shortages, as Western brands account for only 6% of total sales.
The price of imported tea has increased by about 10% due to increased logistics and packing costs.
Nioma Narissa Sadler, a Traditional Medicinals Goodwill Ambassador, received an honorary doctorate from The United States International University (USIU) in ceremonies in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 30.
In 2006 Sadler founded the WomenServe, in Rajasthan, India. According to a press release, the non-profit seeks to unlock the potential of women and girls by increasing access to water, education, health, hygiene, and economic empowerment.
Growing up, Sadler did not receive a formal education. During the past 20 years, she has worked in underserved supply communities on behalf of Traditional Medicinals—which sources organic medicinal plants from 43 countries. She witnessed firsthand that the world’s supply of food and medicine is dependent upon the labor of uneducated women.
Dr. Lata Suresh, Head of Institutional Partnership, Corporate Communications, and the Knowledge Resource Center of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, India, nominated Sadler. She was cited for her unwavering determination, compassion, and commitment to the women and girls of Rajasthan, which resulted in programs supporting education, economic opportunity, and local infrastructure.
Suresh said that Sadler “is a perfect spokesperson for women and girls worldwide who have been denied access to education and skills development. Her dedication and passion supporting the women and girls of Western Rajasthan… are truly remarkable and deserving of recognition.”
FEATURES
Panel leaders at International Plantations Sustainability Summit (from left) TTEL Deputy General Manager Sustainability & Quality Systems Development Krishna Rangalal, HPL Director/CEO Johann Rodrigo, KVPL Director/CEO Anura Weerakoon, Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai, TTEL Director/CEO Senaka Allawattegama and KVPL General Manager HR & Corporate Sustainability Anuruddha Gamage at the launch of the launch
Forum Considers Sustainable Factors that Define Long-term Solutions
Anuruddha Gamage, the General Manager of Human Relations & Corporate Sustainability at Kelani Valley Plantations, spent the past two years identifying ways to integrate the BIO (Biosphere), GEO (Geosphere), SOCIO (Social), and ECONO (Economy) elements of sustainable tea. Participants, drawn from government, academia, NGOs, and research institutes, met in pre-summit workshops to identify the unique, sustainable factors that define the long-term solutions for current challenges. He reports that climate change was top of mind.
As the architect of the summit, Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai seized what he called “a unique opportunity to bring together stakeholders to share best practices and drive long-term change.”
Listen to the Interview
Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai with KVPL General Manager HR & Corporate Sustainability Anuruddha Gamage
| Kenya’s KTDA Chair Resigns Following Tea Reforms Conference | Nestle Announces Cost-Effective Sugar Reduction Technology | AriZona Unveils a Hard Iced Tea – Monster Tea is Next
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Hear the Headlines | Seven-Minute Tea News Recap
PLUS
Trustea was launched in 2013 by tea industry stakeholders, and producers determined to elevate the quality of India’s domestic tea. Today 65% of the tea produced in India adheres to the trustea Code. This month, trustea celebrates ten years of service, improving the competitiveness of tea gardens by positively influencing the practices and scale of production, farm organization, processing, new technologies, and supply chain development. We invited Rajesh Bhuyan, Director of the trustea Sustainable Tea Foundation, to describe’s trustea’s impact and plans for the decade ahead, including a Seal on Pack label to inform consumers of brand compliance with the code.
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Rajesh Bhuyan, trustea
KTDA David Ichoho Withdraws Lawsuit Alleging His Resignation Was Forced
By Dan Bolton
The reason for the abrupt resignation of Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) chairman David Muni Ichoho effective July 14, remains a matter of speculation.
Ichoho submitted a one-sentence handwritten letter of resignation on July 13, shortly after the conclusion of a Tea Reforms Conference chaired by Kenya Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. No reason was cited. Ichoho was elected to the post two years ago and awarded a contract that expires in June 2024.
Ichoho immediately filed a lawsuit alleging he was coerced to resign. Several KTDA board members, the agency’s secretary, and CEO, joined the suit supporting Ichoho. The Kiambu tea factory directors called the ouster an “unprocedural dethronement.” The High Court agreed and temporarily barred the suspension of his contract.
Enos Njiru Njeru was named Chairman the following Monday.
Peoples Daily reported that Gilbert Githae, a director at Mataara Tea Factory, said, “KTDA has structures and rules that govern it. Ichoho was not subjected to the normal processes of removing the KTDA national chairperson from office. The director’s opinion and that of the farmers he represents were never sought.” He said farmers reported higher earnings, on-time payments, and subsidized fertilizer. Since he was elected chair, no administrative actions have been taken against him or complaints regarding the execution of his duties, according to Business Daily Africa.
The following week Ichoho notified the court of his desire to withdraw the suit.
During the conference, the agency faced strong criticism from Kericho County farmers and tea industry principals, which was called to quell violent protests, vandalism, and theft. Gachagua, who convened the two-day conference, promised a NIS audit to determine if KTDA directors mismanaged resources. He said he is committed to Tea Act reforms.
KTDA buys and markets tea on behalf of 630,000 smallholders. An additional 320,000 farmers supply green leaves to private factories in Bomet and Kericho.
BIZ INSIGHT – Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua also announced that former Kenya Tea Development Agency directors prevented from participating in the 2021 factory elections will be eligible to contest sitting directors in an election scheduled for April 2024. “Why should we stop them from running? Kenya is a democracy; let them run if they messed up, the farmers will reject them, and if they did a good job, they will be re-elected,” Gachagua told The Star.
AriZona Launches Hard Tea
AriZona Unveils a Hard Iced Tea
AriZona Hard is a new line of canned tea containing 5% alcohol by volume. The top-selling brand in the US and the largest real brewed Green Tea brand by volume features ginseng extract and honey. The peach flavor matches its non-alcohol twin, and its brewed black tea version is flavored with lemon-inspired citrus notes to create an adult version of the flavor fans have come to know and love,” according to the company.
The blends were first introduced in Canada in 2020 with premium vodka and a half & half lemonade. The tea is sold in the familiar 22-oz cans at a suggested price of $3.49. Initial markets include Florida via Southeast Distribution Co.
BIZ INSIGHT – Monster also announced a beverage-alcohol line in the flavored malt beverage category. Nasty Beast hard iced tea will contain 6% alcohol in four flavors. AriZona countered with a Marvel Comics-inspired LXR Hero Hydration energy line in 16-oz bottles.
Nestle Sugar Reduction Technology can also be used to produce low-lactose and skimmed milk-based products.
Nestlé has released a clinically proven enzymatic process that reduces intrinsic sugar in beverage ingredients, including milk and fruit juices, by up to 30%, with a minimal impact on taste and texture. The sugar-reduced ingredients are then used in recipes for various products. According to the company, there is no need to add sweeteners or bulking agents to replace the volume of the eliminated sugar.
In milk-based tea, the patented sugar reduction method increases prebiotic fibers. The first clinical studies have shown that these fibers can support the growth of multiple beneficial bacteria leading to a favorable microbiome composition in healthy adults.
Makers of tea and juice fusion beverages and ready-to-drink teas will benefit.
Nestlé Chief Technology Officer Stefan Palzer says, “Sugar reduction across our portfolio remains a top priority. This new technology is a true breakthrough, as we can reduce sugar without adding sweeteners while preserving a great taste, all at a minimal cost increase. We are now accelerating the global roll-out across formats and categories.”
The sugar reduction was first piloted in cocoa and malt-based ready-to-drink beverages in Southeast Asia, and over the past year, Nestlé has already introduced it in factory lines for cocoa and malt-based powdered beverages such as Milo across several countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Since 2021, sugar reduction technology has been applied to over 200 000 tons of cocoa and malt-based beverages.
FEATURES
Rajesh Bhuyan, Director trustea Code, India
India’s Holistic Tea Sustainability Code
By Aravinda Anantharaman
Rajesh Bhuyan is the founding director of trustea, a sustainability code and verification system for Indian tea. The program is advised by an inclusive multi-stakeholder council that formulates and approves long-term strategies. The collaborative nature of the trustea “helps us when we go out and meet the tea community when we propagate our program because it has come out through the approval of the larger tea fraternity,” says Bhuyan. Read more…
| Global Average Air Temperatures Reach a New High | Herbal Tea Market Growth is Accelerating | Dilmah Tea Founder Merrill J Fernando Passes at 93
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Hear the Headlines | Seven Minute Tea News Recap
PLUS
Pradeep Kumar Sacitharan is an expert in business development with a passion for assisting online entrepreneurs in dealing with disruptions like the tea industry is facing. He is CEO of London-based Donsfield, a trade development firm that buys and builds successful global brands. Pradeep writes that “growth in life is to be able to take bigger risks at a faster pace at every stage.”
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Pradeep Kumar Sacitharan on building a successful online tea brand.
Unrelenting Heat Lowers Tea Yields
By Dan Bolton
China, Africa, and India are experiencing such intense heat that summer tea yields have dropped.
Oppressive temperatures greatly restrict the time pluckers can spend in the heat, and in several global hot spots, tea bushes are dropping their leaves.
Le Monde reports that ten months after the exceptional heatwave that hit China in the summer of 2022, the region’s tea growers are still suffering the consequences.
“We’ve had at least 40% less production,” said Wu Wen, a Longjing grower in Hangzhou. “But we’re not the worst affected: look,” she said, pointing to three dead plants dumped on the edge of the neighboring field.
Beijing set a new record this week as temperatures remained above 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) for the 28th day.
Last month was the warmest June since at least 1850, and the first two weeks of July are very likely the warmest two-week period on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The Southern Monsoon, which normally arrives in Northeast India in June, brought ample rainfall inundating tea lands in July. The India Meteorological Department recorded rainfall 62% above average from March through May 2023. In 2022 Assam experienced floods in three waves from April through October, killing 180 and inundating more than 9,000 villages, the worst flooding in 10 years. July-like temperatures in Assam first arrived in March.
Temperatures in Africa and the Middle East are approaching 50 degrees Celsius.
Kenya was spared these extreme temperatures but is nonetheless suffering the effects of climate change. The Horn of Africa typically experiences two rainy seasons — the “long rains” from March to May and the “short rains” from October through December. From the fall of 2020 to the end of 2022, each of these seasons’ rainfall was far below average, with several river basins seeing their lowest rainfall totals since 1981, according to the Washington Post.
Drought has affected more people worldwide in the last 40 years than any other natural hazard, according to the United Nations FAO.
BIZ INSIGHT -Amadou Thierno Gaye, a research scientist and university professor at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, told Bloomberg News, “Africa is seen as a sunny and hot continent. People think we are used to heat, but we are having high temperatures for a longer duration. Nobody is used to this.” Hundreds of millions of Africans lack electricity to even power a fan. One in three people in Africa is affected by water scarcity, according to the World Health Organization, so hydration can’t be taken for granted.
Global herbal tea market growth is accelerating
Herbal Tea Market Growth is Accelerating Globally
By Dan Bolton
A new report assessing the Global Herbal Tea Market by Technavio market research projects the market to grow by $885.1 million through 2027.
The market globally is becoming more competitive, writes Technavio: QUOTE “Moderate competition and declining profit margins are some of the significant risk factors for vendors” END QUOTE
Technavio anticipates a combined annual growth rate of 4.94%, which is up from 3.77% recorded for the period 2022-23.
The market is fragmented, with several global and regional brands and some new players.
“To survive and succeed in such a competitive environment, it is imperative that vendors distinguish their product offerings through clear and unique value propositions.”
New players include FMCG giant Dabur Ltd., which entered the green tea market in September 2022 with the launch of Vedic Tea.
The Asia Pacific region will account for 39% of market growth, with China and India in leading roles, according to Technavio. E-commerce distribution via third-party suppliers such as Amazon is driving sales.
Merrill J. Fernando
Dilmah Tea Founder Merrill J Fernando Passes at 93
By Dan Bolton
Merrill J. Fernando, a taster and tea maker who rose in the ranks to establish one of the world’s most recognized tea brands has passed. Fernando, who was 93, was surrounded by his sons and grandchildren in Colombo, Sri Lanka on July 20.
A website paying tribute to Fernando states that the “visionary founder’s greatness was in his invincible faith, integrity, and love for tea and family… His achievement in disrupting an exploitative colonial industry irrevocably changed the lives of producers around the world, introducing a paradigm shift in ethical business before ethics and sustainable business acquired the prominence they have now.”
He is succeeded by his sons Dilhan and Malik for whom the company is named. Merrill began his career in 1954 as a tea assistant and advanced to become managing director at A.F. Jones & Co. He established a bulk tea trading business and in 1988 launched the Dilmah brand.
The website displays hundreds of condolences in many languages from countries around the globe. To contribute, visit mjf.dilmahtea.com A memorial service on July 22 at St. Mary’s in Pallansena will be followed by a private burial.
The Critical Role of Data in Defining Consumer Demand
By Dan Bolton
Pradeep Kumar Sacitharan, CEO of London-based Donsfield, offers valuable insights into online sales and marketing. In this discussion, he advocates for MTC (manufacturer-to-consumer) a business model suited to specialty tea. Pradeep was born in Sri Lanka but fled at six during a tragic civil war. In England, he earned a master’s degree at Imperial College in London, a doctorate in molecular and cellular medicine from the University of Oxford, and he was named a Fulbright Scholar studying medicine at Harvard University with fellowships at the Sorbonne University in Paris and Xi’an Jiaotong University in Suzhou, China. Pradeep grew up in a tea-drinking family and was involved in a tea business that failed to thrive. He shares that story and offers valuable insights into sales and marketing. In this discussion, Pradeep advocates for MTC (manufacturer-to-customer), a business model suited to specialty tea. He is a digital marketing resource with expertise largely untapped by the tea industry.
