As part of last week's World Food Day celebrations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted a dialogue on tea and coffee. Global experts gathered to explore and celebrate the cultural, social, and economic importance of the world's two most popular beverages. The Dialogue on Tea and Coffee also focused on the beverages' role in making agri-food systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
It highlighted the importance of the tea and coffee sectors as vital sources of income and employment for millions of people in developing countries. Smallholder farmers and farming households produce an estimated 60% and 80%, respectively, of the global tea and coffee outputs. Both sectors, said FAO, underpin the lives of millions of labourers, including women and their families, and are essential contributors to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The event also discussed tea and coffee production as a critical element of the transformation of agri-food systems. Sessions touched on the issues facing the sectors, including the climate crisis, sustainability, low productivity levels, price volatility, and the price-cost squeeze faced by players along the value chain.
Lastly, the conversation sparked possible solutions to overcome these challenges, avail of new market opportunities and meet the sustainability issues associated with the production of both drinks. (Image from Unsplash)
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