UN designates May 21 International Tea Day

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday to designate May 21 as the International Tea Day.

According to the resolution, tea production and processing constitutes a main source of livelihoods for millions of families in developing countries, and tea constitutes the main means of subsistence for millions of poor families who live in a number of least developed countries.

Tea production and processing contributes to the fight against hunger, the reduction of extreme poverty, the empowerment of women and the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, it added.

The UNGA also recognizes that the tea industry is a main source of income and export revenues for some of the poorest countries and, as a labor-intensive sector, provides jobs, especially in remote and economically disadvantaged areas.

The UNGA affirms that tea can play a significant role in rural development, poverty reduction and food security in developing countries, being one of the most important cash crops.

The resolution invites the international community to observe International Tea Day in an appropriate manner and in accordance with national priorities, through education and activities aimed at raising public awareness of the importance of tea for, inter alia, rural development and sustainable livelihoods.

The draft resolution was firstly introduced on November by Palestine, on behalf of the states that are members of the Group of 77 and China.