How changing weather could ruin your cuppa
The UK drinks around 100 million cups of tea every day. Around half of UK tea imports come from Kenya, making British consumers highly exposed to climate impacts in East Africa.
Tea depends on stable temperatures and reliable rainfall. But those conditions are breaking down across key tea-growing regions including Kenya, India and Sri Lanka.
Droughts, floods and heatwaves are already disrupting harvests and increasing uncertainty across global tea markets.
Climate injustice in action
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Life for tea farming communities is becoming harder... Rains no longer come when expected, and dry periods last longer. Harvests are not predictable anymore, and neither is the income.
What needs to happen next
Christian Aid says protecting the future of tea will depend on helping farmers adapt to a changing climate.
This includes investing in climate adaptation, strengthening fairer supply chains and increasing support for farming communities facing climate impacts.
The report also points to the role of fairer and more resilient supply chains, including support for producers through fair pricing, adaptation funding and stronger protections for workers.
...this is not just about what is happening in our kitchens or in our mugs. The biggest impact will be felt by the people growing and processing tea, many of whom are already facing rising costs, more unpredictable harvests and worsening insecurity. Climate change is amplifying deep-rooted inequalities in the tea sector.
