Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/961821
54 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 2, 2018 (April / May) Brewing the Future of Trade "T By Dan Bolton ea is clearly a leader in the global beverages market, but it faces a continu- ous challenge in maintaining that position," according to Huzaifa Nal- wala, a senior research consultant at Mansci, research in Dubai. Nalwala is one of several experts who will present at the 7th edition of the biennial Global Dubai Tea Forum April 24-26. "Brewing the Future of Tea Trade" will iden- tify growth opportunities, sustainable development, and branding of tea for attendees from 30 countries. "There is always something brewing at DMCC, and our DMCC Tea Center efforts to date has helped position the UAE as one of the world's top three markets for tea per capita by consumption. The reality is that the world consumed 2.9 million tonnes of tea in 2016, with global consumption forecast to reach 3.3 million tonnes in 2021. The 7th Global Dubai Tea Forum is designed to welcome industry leaders from all across the globe to address the opportunities this will bring and how we best together prepare for the next wave of growth." One of the more troubling developments facing the tea industry is the adverse im- pact of changing weather patterns throughout the equatorial band that includes India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kenya, China, Mozambique, and Indonesia. It is within this zone that tea flourishes, supporting 25 million workers. Climate change is changing the way tea is produced and the quality of tea, and consumers are noticing the change in quality. Improved irrigation, shade management, mulching and technology all help, but are they enough? "Global warming and its resultant impact, climate change, are causing havoc on tea and all agricultural crops," according to Dr. Ravi Fernando, chairman and c.e.o., Global Strategic Corporate Sustainability Ltd. "Extreme weather incidents have moved up from around 250 events per annum in the 1990s to 450 events per annum in the 2000s, disrupting all supply chains," he said. "Unless we recognize this fact and proactively take steps to urgently move to re- newables, reforest, harvest the rain, and protect our soils and waterways, the tea indus- try will face unprecedented crises. The writing is on the wall with most tea-producing Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive chairman, DMCC Global Dubai Tea Forum The Address Hotel Dubai Marina April 24-26, 2018 www.globaldubaiteaforum.ae Dubai Multi Commodities Center processes tea from around the globe