Agriculture and Environment: Tea

Table of Facts : Tea (Camellia sinensis)

Production
Area Under Cultivation - 2.3 Million ha
Global Production - 3.0 Million MT
Average Productivity - 1,302 kg/ha
Producer Price - $802 per MT
Producer Production Value - $2,405 Million

International Trade
Share of World Production - 50%
Exports - 1.5 million MT
Average Price - $1,961 per MT
Value - $2,900 Million

Principal Producing Countries/Blocs (by weight)
India, China, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Indonesia, Turkey

Principal Exporting Countries/Blocs
Sri Lanka, China, Kenya, India, Indonesia

Principal Importing Countries/Blocs
Russia, United Kingdom, Pakistan, United States, Egypt, Japan

Major Environmental Impacts

• Conversion of forest habitat
• Soil erosion and degradation
• Agrochemical inputs
  

Potential to Improve

• Fair
• BMPs exist that reduce overall impacts
• Some effluents and soil erosion result from need for clean fields
• Produced in highly biodiverse areas so expansion has large impacts
  

Source: FAO 2002. All data for 2000.