With a new line up of teas on the precipice for showcasing here at Pekoe, you could be forgiven for thinking international tea day was simply a day to sit back and celebrate by drinking countless cups of your favourite blend. However, this holiday was first established to recognise myriad issues within tea production and the vulnerable situations faced by many of those who work in the trade. This holiday has been observed since 2005, it began small-scale in tea producing countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Kenya etc. and subsequently, due to the hard work of many individuals in Indian and Sri Lankan government, it was proposed to the United Nations. The UN then began working towards marking it as an international holiday in 2015; a goal which was realised in 2019.
The aim of this day therefore is to raise awareness of the significance of tea in certain countries and to promote positive progress towards issues within the tea production chain. These could be in the tea production itself - dealing with climate change - or in regard to people; issues around fair pay, poor living conditions, sustainable consumption of tea etc. If you are interested in this important day, here are a couple of links which can guide you to find out more:
