STiR coffee and tea magazine

40 STiR coffee and tea | 2024 Issue 5 (October / November) F By Emilio Bonnet or centuries, the global coffee and tea markets have shaped economies, cultures, and histories across continents. From the highland tea gardens of Kenya to the sprawling coffee plantations in Brazil, millions of farmers work to produce the beans and leaves that fuel much of the world's daily routines. But what happens when the climate that has cradled these crops for generations begins to change, threatening not only the plants but the livelihoods of those who depend on them? With approximately 25 million coffee growers and 13 million tea workers world- wide, these industries are more than just commodities—they're lifelines. Brazil, for example, dedicates over 3 million hectares to coffee production, making it the world's largest producer. Meanwhile, tea farms in China, India, and Kenya, where over 4 mil- lion hectares of land are cultivated, provide vital income to millions. Yet, this reliance on agriculture, much of it by smallholder farmers, creates a fragile dependency—one that's increasingly tested by climate change. For centuries, the patterns of rainfall, temperature, and soil fertility created ideal conditions for these crops. But in recent decades, those patterns have begun to shift. NASA, in defining climate change, describes it as a "long-term change in average weather patterns." This seemingly sterile definition masks the profound realities: the temperatures are rising, rainfalls are growing erratic, soils are losing fertility, and pests once kept at bay are thriving. These changes could reduce coffee-growing areas by as much as 50% by 2050, a stark forecast from the International Coffee Organization. Tea production fares no better, with projections of a 10-20% yield decrease in key regions like India and Kenya. Can Carbon Credits Help Achieve Sustainable Value Chains? The Carbon Credit system incentivizes sustainable practices in sectors like agriculture, forestry, and conservation. Photo by Alfo Medeiros Ketan Patel, a fourth-generation tea grower and owner of Jalinga Organic Tea, founded in 1935 in Silchar, Assam, India, highlights the significant impact of climate change on the industry. He explains, "The biggest impact is climate change. It's very tough because tea requires a certain cli- mate from March to December (harvest). In earlier days, you could count on things, but now it is haywire." This isn't just a problem for the farm- ers—it's a problem for everyone. The global tea and coffee markets combined are valued at over $200 billion, a stagger- ing number that underscores the influ- ence these crops wield across the supply chains. As consumers demand more ethi- cal, sustainable products, the question becomes: Can the carbon credit market provide a lifeline not only to the planet but also to the millions of farmers who find their livelihoods threatened? From Hope to Skepticism to Hope Again At its heart, the carbon credit market, ad- opted in 1997 by the Kyoto Protocol and then replaced in 2016 by the Paris Agree- ment, is an elegant idea: allow those who emit carbon to purchase credits from those who reduce or offset it. In theory, this system incentivizes sustainable prac- tices in sectors like agriculture, forestry, and conservation. But as with most ideas, the devil lies in the details. The Jalinga Organic Tea Estate, founded in 1935 in Silchar, Assam, is India's first attempt at integrating carbon credits into tea production. Photo courtesy Jalinga Organic Tea Estate

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