Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/491356
10 STiR tea & coffee industry international Incorporating NEWS Advertising Representation: Global Glenn Anthony John (Thailand) Tel +66 22 55 66 25 Fax +66 26 55 22 11 Mobile +66 818 299 409 gaj@octobermultimedia.com The Americas / Northern Europe Emerson Leonard (United States) Tel/Mobile: +1 917 680 1050 edl@octobermultimedia.com Southeast Asia / Middle East Chris Michaelides (Hong Kong) Tel +66 22 55 66 25 Fax +66 26 55 22 11 Mobile +66 869 896 540 cam@octobermultimedia.com Spain / Italy Jonathan Wesley Bell (France) Tel: +33 563 414790 jwb@octobermultimedia.com Production/Distribution October Inter Co., Ltd. Bangkok, Thailand Tel +66 22 55 66 25 Fax +66 26 55 22 11 info@stir-tea-coffee.com Directors Glenn Anthony John Boonthin Tubsongkroh Tea2030 Panel, from left, Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Ron Mathison, Sarah Roberts, and Jordy Van Honk. Pictured is a Loring Smart Roast 35kg/cycle Peregrine roaster. The Future of Tea – The "Hero" Crop London, England – The cultivation of tea can rise above exploitation "to deliver major benefits to the millions of people involved in the sector, the planet and the wider economy." The quote is from Ann-Marie Brouder, principal sustainability advisor at the non-profit Forum for the Future. In February the Forum released a 31-page report titled: The Future of Tea: A Hero Crop for 2030. A panel of industry leaders and executives representing non-profits described the "heroic" potential of the $90 billion global industry to deliver social, environ- mental and economic benefits. The report addresses wages, conditions of employment, the position and treatment of women, the balance of power across the supply chain, the avail- ability of labor and mechanization, the way in which tea is bought and sold, natural resources such as water and soil, land usage, deforestation, usage of agro- chemicals, climate change, investment for the future, and consumer attitudes and behavior. Some of the world's largest suppliers (Unilever, Twinings, Finlays, Yorkshire Tea, Tata Global Beverages, S & D Coffee & Tea) have committed significant resources to Tea 2030, an initiative to drive action in the industry, according to Future Forum ceo Sally Uren, who opened the discussion. Participating com- panies, governments and non-government organizations must collaborate in addressing complex social and environmental challenges, she said. The focus is on three collaboration platforms: "sustainable landscapes, mar- ket mechanisms and engaging the consumer," said Uren. Non-profits joining in the task include The Ethical Tea Partnership, The Sustainable Trade Initiative, Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade International. "We cannot tackle these alone; it is only through critical mass and collabora- tion that we can tackle these one by one," said Pier Luigi Sigismondi, chief sup- ply chain officer at Unilever, the world's largest tea company. Ethical Tea Partnership executive director Sarah Roberts described the industry's progress as 'waves of engagement' beginning with third-party certifica- tion to improve quality and reduce reliance on chemical inputs. Awareness of sustainability and environmental stewardship in preserving soil and conserving resources followed. A third wave is responding to social and economic aspects of developing, tea-producing nations. All these efforts pave the way for moving beyond the supply chain into the public light. Tea 2030 represents the 4th wave — engagement with consumers. "Where there has been hardly any collaboration is on the consumer end so this emerging platform is significant," she said. Inspiring engagement requires cooperation at a corporate level as well as empowering small holders at the local level. Jordy Van Honk focused on the im- portance of helping smallholders to be more resilient and more sustainable. Van Honk is senior tea programme manager, IDH (The Sustainable Trade Initiative)