The German Tea Association

Tea Report 2022

A record-breaking year for tea

The German Tea & Herbal Infusions Association and its members can look back on 2021 as an exceptionally good year. The year saw German demand for teas (Camellia sinensis), herbal and fruit infusions soar, with almost 95,000 cups drunk here each minute. Meanwhile, the already high annual per-capita consumption rose still further by 1.5 litres to 71.5 litres (61,954 tonnes)in 2021. Over half the total, 42.7 litres (41,944 tonnes), was herbal and fruit infusions, with black and green teas making up the remaining 28.8 litres (20,010 tonnes) and crossing the 20,000-plus tonne mark for the first time. Sales of organic quality teas, herbal and fruit infusions surged in 2021, with 15.9% of all teas sold bearing the organic label. The proportion of organic herbal and fruit infusions also rose by 10.4% from 2020 to 2021, reflecting a growing shift on the part of consumers to more sustainable approaches. Although loose leaf teas continued to hold sway, preferred to teabags at a ratio of 55% to 45%, the latter option is becoming increasingly popular, reflecting how solutions of practical convenience are now the priority.

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Tea Report 2021

Tea sends positive signals

Tea as drink of the hour: It was good to see a growing demand for teas, herbal and fruit infusions once again in 2020. The per capita consumption of herbal and fruit infusions now rose to roughly 42 litres per year; whereas tea (Camellia sinensis) reached a solid 28 litres. This corresponds to a consumption of 41,081 tons of herbal and fruit infusions (67.8%), and 19,523 tons of black and green tea (32.2%). In comparison: In 2019 roughly 40,000 tons of herbal and fruit infusions and around 19,200 tons of black and green tea were consumed. The sales of organic herbal and organic fruit infusions increased to 7 percent of total tea sales and account for almost 11 per cent of the herbal and fruit infusions sold. A total of 48.7 cups of tea were enjoyed by German consumers.

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The report is available in two versions:

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Code of Conduct

Sustainability is part of our core business
Sustainability in all its facets is inseparably linked to the products and services of our member companies. Only if our industry lives up to its ecological, social and corporate responsibility with full commitment on a permanent basis, we can provide tea, as well as herbal and fruit infusions reliably, safely and in the highest quality. For this reason, sustainability is one of the central themes of our association’s strategy and supporting our members in this area is one of our most important tasks.

The foundation of our commitment to sustainability is the unconditional respect for human rights in accordance with the United Nations Charter and its Principles for Business and Human Rights, as well as our commitment to its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). We support the concerns of current European and national laws (e.g. the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act or the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive of the EU) and are committed to their implementation. At the same time, we know the challenges that our members face when implementing the new regulatory framework in business practice. As an association, it is our task to work together with our members on possible industry initiatives and solutions and to remain in dialogue with the legislative institutions.

Commitment to sustainable company and association governance
Many of our member companies can look back on a long tradition. Many of them have always felt committed to the model of the Honorable Merchant and the so-called good governance is a matter of course for them. However, new topics such as digital security and data protection keep challenging companies. As an association, we stand by in an advisory capacity and gradually provide our companies with assistance to help them solve special issues. Thus, our industry has given itself its own Code of Conduct. In order to make it easier for members to comply with new laws (e.g. the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act) we provide them with information material.

Transparency, fairness, a considerate approach to people and nature as well as a sustainable management have a long tradition amongst the member companies of the German Tea & Herbal Infusions Association. In order to safeguard these values, the members have committed themselves to complying with this Code of Conduct.