Tea and coffee: celebrating their cultural, social and economic importance

Rome – Global tea and coffee experts came together today to explore and celebrate the cultural, social, and economic importance of the world’s two most popular beverages including their role in making agri-food systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

The Dialogue on Tea and Coffee, part of World Food Day celebrations hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), focused on the tea and coffee sectors and their importance as a vital source of income and employment for millions of people in developing countries. Smallholder farmers and farming households produce an estimated 60 percent and 80 percent, respectively, of the global tea and coffee outputs. Both sectors underpin the lives of millions of labourers, including women and their families, and are important contributors to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).