World Tea News
• Were the crop problems in 2007 just a catalyst to a market correction to more sustainable levels and if so why?
• One could argue that the diversification of throat share offerings has risk for the tea industry so, is it tea as an ingredient that is the savior or the main market beneficiary?
• Have the type of companies buying tea changed and are their needs and valuations at odds with traditional companies?
• If you need to use certain chemicals to affect sustainability…and yet these necessary activities marginalize your ability to enter certain markets, will you not focus on other markets for sales?
• Are we going to have the peaceful scratch of tea pluckers at work replaced by the internal combustion engine and what does this mean for quality, productivity and sustainability?
• What is the next move to enhance profitability and will it come at the expense of a layer of industry players? Is vertical integration the answer or does it pose as many questions as it does answers?
• How does certification impact pricing and does any perceived bonus disappear once capacity has been built to satisfy all consumer needs?
FAO