Guwahati: The global tea community will come together on Thursday to observe International Tea Day 2026 through major events at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome and the inaugural International Tea Symposium 2026 in France, highlighting tea’s growing role in sustainability, cultural heritage and rural livelihoods.
Several events will also be held across the world. The Tea and Herbal Association of Canada will organise a virtual interaction connecting people involved in the tea sector globally, while the Tea Research Association will host Tech Brew 2026 for the third consecutive year on the occasion of International Tea Day.
Observed under the theme “Sustaining Tea, Supporting Communities,” this year’s International Tea Day comes at a time when the global tea sector is grappling with climate pressures, rising production costs and changing market dynamics, even as demand for specialty and heritage teas continues to grow.
At the FAO headquarters in Rome, the United Nations agency will host a full-day programme on May 21 at the Atrium and the FAO Museum and Network (FAO MuNe) – FoodS Lab. The event will be inaugurated by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and will focus on tea’s contribution to livelihoods, cultural exchange, agrifood sustainability and rural communities.
The opening ceremony will feature a cultural performance by the Wuzhishan Rainforest Children’s Choir from Hainan Province in China, followed by tea tastings and interactive sessions showcasing tea traditions and cultural practices from participating countries.
International Tea Day was officially adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 to recognise tea’s economic and cultural significance worldwide. Since then, the observance has evolved into a broader platform linking tea with sustainability, heritage preservation and intercultural dialogue.
This year’s celebrations also coincide with growing international recognition of tea as a form of living cultural heritage. UNESCO-linked initiatives associated with the International Tea Symposium are seeking to position tea at the intersection of agricultural knowledge, social customs, science, education and artistic traditions.
The International Tea Symposium, being organised under the High Patronage of the Presidency of the French Republic, is being presented as a landmark initiative promoting cultural and scientific diplomacy around tea and encouraging global dialogue on heritage preservation and sustainable tea systems.
Meanwhile, the Indian Tea Association (ITA), in a statement marking International Tea Day, said India exported a record 280.40 million kg of tea worth Rs 8,488 crore in 2025, reaffirming its position as the world’s second-largest tea producer and the leading producer of black tea.
The ITA said tea remains “not merely a beverage; it is a cultural bond, a source of livelihood, and a timeless legacy,” connecting communities from the tea plains of Assam and Dooars to Darjeeling, the Nilgiris, Tripura and emerging tea regions across India.
The association noted that India’s tea industry supports around 1.2 million workers directly, with women accounting for more than half the workforce, while over 2.49 lakh registered small tea growers now contribute nearly 57% of India’s total tea production.
However, the ITA cautioned that the industry faces severe challenges from erratic weather, weak price realisation and rising costs. Assam experienced a 97% rainfall deficit during the early months of 2026, while tea output in North India fell by more than 12% during January–March this year.
The association also warned that the organised tea estate sector — described as the custodian of India’s premium teas, biodiversity and rural employment — is under “existential pressure” due to climate volatility, rising input costs and global market uncertainties.
The ITA said International Tea Day serves not only as a celebration of tea culture, but also as a reminder of the urgent need to safeguard the livelihoods of millions of workers and small growers dependent on the industry while ensuring a sustainable future for tea.
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