Guwahati: The headquarters of the Confederation of International Small Tea Holders (CITS) will shift to India from China, an official statement said. The decision was taken recently at the 25th session of the FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea (FAO IGG on Tea) held in Guwahati recently, its India coordinator Joydeep Phukan said in the statement.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) IGG on Tea, which is under the United Nations, also decided to take up the issue of climate change and assess carbon footprint of tea plantations globally, Phukan said. The FAO IGG on Tea is the highest global platform for tea wherein all tea-producing and consuming nations deliberate on trends in production, consumption, trade and prices of tea, including regular appraisal of the global market situation and short-term outlook.
It considers changes in national policies and examines their international effects as they pertain to current and prospective markets. The meeting was held in Assam for the first time, with 77 delegates attending the session over three days from January 31. India took over as the chair of the FAO IGG on Tea from the United Kingdom for the next two years and the session was presided over by Saurav Pahari, deputy chairman of Tea Board India.
Among the key decisions taken was to move the headquarters of CITS, which was set up as per a proposal of an earlier IGG meet, from China to India. The central and Assam governments informed the IGG on Tea the steps it has taken for development of small holders. Setting up a dedicated research and development centre at Tea Research Association (TRA), Tocklai, in Assam's Jorhat district was among the government initiatives.
Under the auspices of the FAO, adequate funding would be explored for major work on climate change for all tea-growing countries, Phukan said, adding it was also decided to assess the carbon footprint of the tea supply chain up to the consumer level. The meeting also discussed the strategic framework for the group for the period 2022-31 as per the mandate of the FAO. Sri Lanka will host the next IGG session after two years, Phukan added.
