The Asia Tea Alliance, a confederation of Tea organizations from major tea-producing and -consuming countries in Asia, held its third Annual Meet in Bandung, Indonesia on 23 August 2023.
On the occasion, the ATA unveiled a significant five-point action plan, which includes:
Sustainable Consumption: To increase global consumption of green and black tea, and promote them as a healthy drink through joint events and education.
Legal Alignment: Collaborating with governments to align the tea industry’s goals with public policy.
Carbon Innovation: A coordinated approach for innovating carbon production and reduction technologies in the tea sector, ensuring fair pricing for carbon in-setting and off-setting.
Scientific Collaboration: Fast-tracking genetic improvement in tea to combat climate change.
Support to Members: To ensure quality, technical, financial, market, and other business support for tea-producing countries.
The ATA members also resolved to engage with the European Union as a dialogue partner to understand the implications of EU’s Green Deal on the tea producers of Asia.
“In the coming years, we believe that ATA will emerge as an important forum to address the common concerns, interests, and aspirations of the Asian tea industry. Our vision is clear: ATA will be at the forefront of supporting efficient, economical, and sustainable production regularly, as well as ensure a sustainable and high-quality supply of tea for consumers,” Shatadru Chattopadhayay, Managing Director, Solidaridad Asia, said.
The ATA brings together apex tea industry associations of India, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia, with Solidaridad Network as the neutral convenor.