{"id":6484,"date":"2021-05-24T21:52:32","date_gmt":"2021-05-24T16:22:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ixambee.com\/blog\/?p=6484"},"modified":"2021-05-29T14:08:30","modified_gmt":"2021-05-29T08:38:30","slug":"international-tea-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.ixambee.com\/international-tea-day","title":{"rendered":"International Tea Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Roti \u25cfKapda\u25cf Makaan\u25cf Chai<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Tea Day is celebrated on 21st<\/sup> May every year. International Tea Day was first celebrated in 2019 by the UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The idea behind the celebration of International Tea Day is to identify and acknowledge the vulnerable situations that tea producers in India face under the present living conditions and worker-related policies. Also, ITD is dedicated to raising awareness about the demand for this hot beverage, which is the 2nd<\/sup>– most consumed drink, after water, across the globe. Read on to learn more about International Tea Day, its history and its importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is tea? Is it a drink? Is it a hot beverage? A well-prepared cup of tea is like lying down in your mother\u2019s lap as you slowly fall asleep while she plays with your hair. Any Indian worth their salt will tell you that tea is an emotion. It is the fuel that drives a nation of 1.3 billion people. A cup of tea is as useful a prop for heavy conversations as it is for an Instagram post. Drinking tea is a one-stop solution for all sorts of situations for people in India. Allow me to explain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stressed? Have tea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tired? Have tea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeling groggy? Have tea! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to celebrate? Have tea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Didn\u2019t get enough sleep last night? Have tea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need a break from work? Take a tea break!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeting with a potential rishta <\/em>guy\/girl? Make tea for them! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think you get the drift\u2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us now learn more about International Tea Day, its history, significance and importance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Tea Day- History<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first International Tea Day was held in 2005 in New Delhi. ITD is observed in major tea-producing countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda, India and Tanzania and also in tea-consuming countries like The Netherlands, United Kingdom, France and Germany. The International Tea Day campaign was launched by the trade unions, small-scale cultivators and civil society organizations to address the issues of living wages for workers and fair prices for small tea producers (cultivation of up to 25 acres). The International Tea Day observations and deliberations have significantly contributed towards the International Alliance and brought forth the attention of respective national governments to address issues in the tea sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Government of India then proposed to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to expand the celebration of this day across all countries where tea is produced. The then- Chairman Shri Santosh Kumar Sarangi drafted a proposal for the same in 2015. This proposal was supported by Canada, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, the United States, countries of the European Union, Kenya, and Malawi. This proposal was accepted by the United Nations in 2019. Initially, the day was celebrated on December 15, however, UNFAO declared May 21 as the International Tea Day because the season of tea production begins in May in most of the tea-producing countries. As such, International Tea Day 2021 will mark the 2nd<\/sup> year of its celebration. You can read the UN General Assembly\u2019s Declaration on the Resolution adopted on 19 December 2019 here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UN General Assembly took into consideration the expanding demand in tea-producing countries, where per capita consumption is relatively low. Also, UNFAO wanted to extend supporting efforts to address the declining per capita consumption in traditional importing countries due to increased consumption of coffee, smoothies and alcoholic beverages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(A tweet released by the UN on International Tea Day, 2021)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Tea Day: Importance and Purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tea is not only an aromatic beverage that we consume to unwind. It is an important component of our economy (and other tea-producing nations as well). Millions of lives and livelihoods are associated with the entire process of growing tea up until its final consumption. Right from the farmers and labourers working in the tea estates to the small tea-stall owner, many families derive their livelihood from tea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Tea Day is celebrated with the motto, \u201cHarnessing Benefits for all From Field to Cup\u201d. Mind you, this is not the theme of the day. It is the motto or fundamental idea under which the day will be observed every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GOALS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The primary goal behind observing International Tea Day is to draw global attention from governments and citizens alike to the impact of the global tea trade on workers and cultivators. The day is also observed to understand requests for price supports and fair trade. It is celebrated with the hope that International Tea Day will encourage and lead to collective actions to implement activities in favour of sustainable production practices and the consumption of tea. It will help raise awareness of its importance in fighting hunger and poverty, especially among producers, farmers and tea plantation labourers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do the ideas behind the celebration of International Tea Day align with the United Nations\u2019 program for sustainable development? Tea production and processing contribute in the following ways: <\/p>\n\n\n\n