Tackling climate change and deforestation in tea communities

The context

Climate change is one of the major risks faced by the world today. The effects of climate change will impact how and where tea can be grown. This has serious implications for the people who depend on tea for a living. Small-scale farmers are particularly vulnerable.

Tea production is threatened by a range of climate driven stresses including rising temperatures, droughts, frosts, shifting and unpredictable weather patterns as well as changing incidences of pests and diseases.

Deforestation is another major environmental threat, which exacerbates the effects of climate change and has a range of negative impacts on tea communities.

Our aims

We support the tea industry and those who depend on it to understand how climate change will affect tea growing regions. We work together to develop and implement approaches to adapt to its impacts.

We help the tea industry to reduce its carbon footprint, become more energy efficient and lower its emissions. We support the sector and the communities within it to tackle deforestation, access renewable energy and to reduce their reliance on fuelwood.

Supporting farmers

We have supported hundreds of thousands of farmers across Africa to adapt their farms and farming practices so that they can deal with climate change. Going further, our programmes improve farmers’ incomes and resilience to shocks – as we support them to diversify, create savings opportunities and help develop their business skills. Collectively, we are improving their lives and longer-term prospects.

We’ve accelerated efforts to develop new tea clones, which are better adapted to suit future conditions. We help farmers access these clones, so that they can continue to depend on tea to make a living. For example, we supported Kenyan farmers to plant over half a million drought and frost resistant tea clones.

Addressing deforestation

Across Malawi, Rwanda and Kenya, ETP-supported nurseries encouraged the planting of trees to help combat carbon emissions, as did work with factories in Kenya to reduce their energy emissions. Not only does this tackle deforestation, farmers can see immediate benefits as there’s less need to buy or gather wood to use as fuel.

From 2016 to 2020, 180,000 – 300,000 trees were saved a year through factory energy efficiencies. Close to half a million trees were planted over this time frame, and 20,000+ tonnes of carbon emissions were avoided each year. 

Developing beekeeping in important forest areas is another way we have been working with Malawian tea communities to conserve forests. Keeping bees is a key source of additional income, and keeping the hives in the forest is good for the bees and wildlife. It also increases local commitment to forest conservation, and acts as a deterrent to anyone felling wood.

Renewable energy

We have been increasing access to renewable and clean energy in tea communities. In Malawi, we have helped farmers to purchase solar products and fuel-efficient cookstoves. In Kenya, we have supported farmers to purchase 27,000 fuel-efficient cookstoves.

Along with reducing the need for fuelwood, these initiatives change families’ lives – they reduce health risks and save money. They also save considerable time relating to collecting wood and cooking, which is particularly beneficial for women.

Renewable energy

We have been increasing access to renewable and clean energy in tea communities. In Malawi, we have helped farmers to purchase solar products and fuel-efficient cookstoves. In Kenya, we have supported farmers to purchase 27,000 fuel-efficient cookstoves.

Along with reducing the need for fuelwood, these initiatives change families’ lives – they reduce health risks and save money. They also save considerable time relating to collecting wood and cooking, which is particularly beneficial for women.

Find out more

Learn more about ETP’s environment programmes here.