Image Credit: Steenbergs (Flickr)
June 4, 2018 Agriculture in India, Aquaponics 4,381 Comments

55% of all India’s tea is grown in Assam. The climate here, just like everywhere else in the world, has changed in recent years. It has become hotter and the rainfall patterns are different. This has resulted in an 18.4% decrease in productivity since 2007.

When we talk about climate change on this blog, it is usually in view of the effects on food crops. But what will happen to everyone’s favorite beverage if conditions continue to change (as they inevitably will)?

In the past 80 years, the temperature in this area of India has risen 20 °C . This may not seem like a lot, but we are only just seeing the results, and the temperatures are continuing to rise.

The UN Science Network has predicted that by 2100, global temperatures will rise by 6.4 °C. It seems we have only just witnessed the beginning effects of this shift. What is even more frightening is that we do not have much time to find a solution. Experts worldwide agree that our ability to feed ourselves is soon to become a daily uncertainty, even for those who currently do not have food security issues.

In the year 2050, the earth will have 2 billion more mouths to feed. Given that we do not currently feed everyone on earth already, this concern is enormous.

“We must alert and organize the world’s people to pressure world leaders to take specific steps to solve the two root causes of our environmental crisis – exploding population growth and wasteful consumption of irreplaceable resources. Over-consumption and overpopulation underlie every environmental problem we face today” – Jacques Cousteau

We have been scouring the internet for anyone currently growing tea in an aquaponic system – we have yet to find anyone (let us know if you do!)

While plants with big roots don’t typically do well in an aquaponic system, specialists such as Murray Hallam have seen great success growing trees. View our blog on papaya trees here. We would love to see an aquaponic tea set-up.

For now, Aquaponics in India is focusing on fruit and vegetable production, as feeding people needs to be the priority. However we are not ruling out tea growing for the future!

Aquaponics in India will soon be offering consultancy services. Please get in touch for more information.

Written by Pippa Woodhead
Being a health-nut, London born Pippa has struggled to adjust to the lack of availability of lettuce and kale since re-locating to India. Previously naive to the extent of the worlds food struggles, she has now become obsessed with sustainability in food production and especially in India where it needs it the most (plus she’s also hoping to get her hands on some kale any day now). When she’s not writing for Aquaponics in India, she is usually found with her head in a book or in the kitchen experimenting with new vegetarian recipes.