Guwahati: The 25th session of Food and Agriculture Organisation Intergovernmental Group on Tea met in Guwahati for the first time which discussed and deliberated on various facets of tea.
“There has been a global increase in consumer awareness of a healthy lifestyle, and dietary habits are changing in response to known linkages between diet and health. However, many campaigns are focused on health benefits that address the concerns of older generations,” says the Working Group on Tea and Health under FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea.
It says the world market for tea continues to be in oversupply, as yields per hectare have risen without a matching increase in global demand. “Critically, the next generation of consumers have a wide range of beverages to choose from and tea must compete for a share of the throat,” it says.
“This promotional plan would be designed to target younger consumers who are looking for an alternative to sugary drinks. This would also support public health objectives of many countries around the world” the group says.
The working group headed by Canada, US, and UK has collated peer-reviewed scientific journals and meta-analyses on how tea promotes endurance in sports and overall fitness. The IGG on Tea adopted a generic campaign for tea with a focus areas of how tea enhances sports and fitness. Use established science to develop language around the topic of sport and fitness, targeting specifically a younger consumer and include importance of flavan3-ols in healthy living.
It says a unified global campaign is needed which links tea drinking to benefits that are relevant to that audience to successfully target younger consumers.
“Focusing on the topics that interest a younger generation, we can help increase the consumption of tea such as the role of tea for improved fitness,” it says.
It says such a campaign would use the available scientific evidence to create messages and campaign collateral. These could be launched by all tea-growing and tea-consuming countries simultaneously, creating a global buzz around tea and encouraging consumers, young and old, to drink more tea.
“There is extensive evidence in support of the potential roles of tea in relation to aspects of sports and fitness performance and optimal hydration. “This is further strengthened by the new dietary recommendation for flavan-3-ols, abundant in tea, which supports heart health. Together these scientific findings would provide the framework for a youth focussed campaign designed to encourage increased consumption of tea” the group says.
This activity would advance the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” and may also facilitate additional projects which may help develop ancillary products leveraging the health benefits of tea and work towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.2: “Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors”.
The language would include hashtags all organisations could use to amplify the messaging on various media platforms. International Tea Day, 21 May, would provide the perfect platform for the campaign, with all interested parties agreeing to harmonised messaging and campaign timings running up to and culminating on the day of observance.
“When combined with existing knowledge on the benefits of tea for fitness and health, the scientific evidence can be used to build an effective promotional plan. Tea Power is the perfect pitch for younger generations who are looking to increase their performance and energy levels while staying healthy,” it says.
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“In current times, health and wellness have become central factors in consumer choices, offering a unique opportunity for the tea industry to tap into new consumer markets, especially among Gen Z and millennials,” said Ajay Jalan former president of Tea Association of India( TAI) at the association’s 49th biennial general meeting in Calcutta this month.
Also Read | Why Harish Bijoor thinks water is tea’s biggest competitor