International Tea Day May 21

International Tea Day is an opportunity to celebrate the cultural heritage, health benefits and economic importance of tea, while working to make its production sustainable “from field to cup” ensuring its benefits for people, cultures and the environment continue for generations.

When is International Tea Day?

International Tea Day is marked annually on May 21st, in accordance with the United Nations' resolution.

Tea production and processing are a main source of livelihoods for millions of families. The celebration promotes the sustainable production, consumption, and trade of tea, and offers an opportunity for actors at global, regional and national levels to ensure that the tea sector continues to play a role in reducing extreme poverty, fighting hunger and safeguarding natural resources.

History of International Tea Day

The International Tea Day campaign was launched in 2005 by the trade unions, small tea growers and civil society organizations in Asia and Africa to address the issues of living wages for workers and fair prices for small tea producers.

Why Do We Mark International Tea Day?

The day dedicated to the tea trade aims to increase public awareness of how it affects the lives of farmers and workers. While tea enthusiasts worldwide also celebrate this occasion. The United Nations marks International Tea Day every year on May 21st to educate the public on global concerns, promoting sustainable tea manufacturing, business, and consumption. The goal of this day is to recognise the vulnerable situations faced by tea producers worldwide, focusing on climate change, technology, trends in production, and consumption in the tea industry, and addressing current living conditions and worker-related policies.

Key messages

Tea production and processing represent a source of livelihoods for millions of families, including millions in the least developed countries.
The tea sector is a multi-billion dollar industry that can support economies and contribute to sustainable food systems.
Tea export earnings help to finance food import bills, supporting the economies of major tea-producing countries.
The tea sector contributes to socio-economic development, representing a major source of employment and income for millions of poor families worldwide.
Tea thrives in very specific agro-ecological conditions and environments, which are often impacted by climate change.
Smallholder tea producers need our support to strengthen their business model and environment and overcome the challenges they face.
In order to ensure benefits for both people and the environment, the tea value chain must be efficient and sustainable at all stages, from field to cup.

Mrs. Nelius Wanjiru Kariuki

Ms.Nelius Wanjiru Kariuki is a career civil servant. She has worked in the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Finance and Planning and National Development starting as an Economist and rising to the level of Principal Economist. She has been a Director of Nelleon Development Company Limited.

An alumni of Alliance Girls High School as well as the University of Nairobi, from where she graduated with an M.A and a B.A in Economics. She has served as a Board member in various girls’ high schools as well as The Murang’a Teachers College. She has also served in various business and professional organizations.

She served on the Board of Kenya Re as a Director from 2003. In 2007, she was appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. She led the Corporation through its first IPO and is recorded as the first woman to ring the bell at the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Under her Chairmanship, Kenya Re continued to experience an upward trend in its financial performance. In addition, Kenya Re’s business saw the Corporation open regional offices in Abidjan in 2010. She was instrumental in steering Kenya Re to attain and maintain the ISO 9001:2008 standard as well as successful CSR Progamme - Niko Fiti- Abillity Beyond Disability.

Her social interests include golf, a sport in which she has served in various positions rising to become Chairman of the Veterinary Laboratory Sports Club. She has also served in the Kenya Ladies Golf Union.

The East African Tea Trade Association

The East African Tea Trade Association is a voluntary organization bringing together Tea Producers, Buyers (Exporters), Brokers, Tea Packers and Warehouses, all working to promote the best interests of the Tea Trade in Africa. Currently, membership comprises over three hundred companies extending across the East and Central African borders. EATTA mandated to promote and facilitate the interests of all the stakeholders in the tea trade in Africa by creating an enabling business environment geared towards maintaining global standards and delivering tea products to the customers in the most profitable way.

Vision: To be the leading tea trade association globally.

Mission: To facilitate a world class trading platform for African teas and provide sustainable service to members.

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