Point of View
Our annual tea issue takes a deep dive into all things tea. Even a few short months ago, we could not have anticipated how much STiR’s coverage of both the coffee and tea industries would necessarily be centered around the narrative of a global pandemic. Not only has Covid-19 affected all of our daily lives in unprecedented ways, it’s also disrupted the inner workings of the industries so many people rely on — for their livelihoods, their business transactions, their community engagements, and their own personal rituals and comforts.
Most of us have long considered coffee and/or tea as an essential part of our day, and now, both industries are under threat. In some parts of the world, this threat takes the form of imbalances in supply and demand, obstacles to harvesting, and problems with distribution and other logistical issues. In other areas, the challenges are consumer-facing, such as finding stable markets, accessing quality products in a timely fashion, and keeping employees on the payroll (and especially keeping them safe at work). In all cases, the impact is financial, with many businesses along the supply chain struggling to merely survive until the world re-opens for in-person commerce.
This month’s issue takes a hard look at these realities, with both data-driven articles and stories of the human outcomes of these struggles. Ultimately, these are all stories of resilience, innovation, and creativity.
In our Q&A, we talk with Angela McDonald, president of the US League of Tea Growers, about the opportunities Oregon has as a burgeoning tea-producing region. Regular contributor and tea expert Dan Bolton offers a sobering look at vulnerabilities in the global tea industry and possible paths to surviving the pandemic. Coffee reporter Dan Shryock looks at the effects of the Covid-19 crisis on a farmer in El Salvador, a large roaster in Ontario, Canada, and a small roaster in Virginia, and a café owner in Oregon to discover how each is coping.
Seoul-based writer Joel Petersson Ivre puts the spotlight on the rise of premium tea there, and Chicago-based Carrie Pallardy considers the value of B2B and B2C tea education programs, including online programs that are surging in popularity now.
India correspondent Aravinda Anantharaman, based in Bengaluru, explores the complex realm of sustainability in tea-growing, with clues about the potential long-term success of one of this country’s most key industries. And Bethany Haye, Colombia correspondent, gives us a closeup look at what is happening in the coffee industry there as exports decline and cafés for local consumption remain shuttered.
Longtime contributor Peter Keen offers up some new technologies in two stories for this issue — one on tools for mitigating climate change and one on the payoffs of “precision agriculture”.
STiR is also invested in helping industry players be successful in a future that is largely unknown. Whatever your role in the coffee or tea industry, turn to us for news, analysis, practical tips, information on helpful technologies, and solutions to problems facing us all. Subscribe to our newsletter at www.stir-tea-coffee.com, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and send us an email to let us know what kinds of content you’d like to see as we all navigate these waters together. Now is the time to come together as a community for the greater good of all.