Is organic tea really better?

Is organic tea really better? Let`s talk about “organic tea” today.

When it comes to organic tea, we must first understand it from the definition of the “Organic Agriculture Promotion Act”:

“In order to maintain water and soil resources, ecological environment, biodiversity, animal welfare, and consumer rights, and to promote agricultural-friendly environment and sustainable use of resources, this Act is enacted. Organic agriculture: refers to agriculture that is based on the principles of ecological balance and nutrient cycling, does not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides, does not use genetically modified organisms and their products, and produces agricultural products such as crops, forests, aquaculture, and livestock. Organic agricultural products: refers to agricultural products produced, processed, packaged, and circulated in accordance with the verification criteria formulated by the competent authority, and have been verified and qualified in accordance with this Act.”

From the above information, we can summarize that “organic agricultural products” include the following keywords: agricultural-friendly environment, sustainable use of resources, no use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and no use of genetically modified organisms and their products.

What is organic tea?

Organic tea refers to tea leaves grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, genetically modified fertilizers, and pesticides. The air, water, and soil are all unpolluted, and the tea can only be called organic after verification.

What are the key points of organic tea cultivation?

Taking Taiwanese tea as an example, before discussing the tea plantation environment, the selection of tea tree varieties is one of the main factors affecting organic tea cultivation. Choosing tea trees with good resistance to diseases and pests for cultivation, such as Jin Xuan tea, is a good choice. If Qingxin Oolong is used as the planting variety, it will be quite difficult because Qingxin Oolong itself has poor resistance to diseases and pests. After the tea trees are planted, do not rush to harvest, wait for the tea trees to be healthy before picking. When the tea trees are healthy, they can naturally resist diseases and pests.

What else do we need to pay attention to in organic tea?

Fertilizers: Fertilizers must be organic certified, and for example, genetically modified soybeans cannot be used in soybean meal.

Neighbor field pollution: Organic tea gardens are adjacent to non-organic management of crops. When spraying pesticides, pollution may occur in organic tea gardens.

Indirect factors: Whether the waste gas generated by transportation vehicles and tea garden management equipment will affect the tea garden is a question worth considering.

Packaging materials: Even if the tea leaves meet organic standards, insufficient safety of packaging materials will also affect the effect of “organic.” For example, unsafe aluminum foil plastic layers dissolve toxic substances when in contact with tea leaves.

Is organic tea better?

For consumers, the “good” of tea is divided into two categories, food safety and taste. Taste varies from person to person, and food safety is what organic tea advocates. For tea leaves to be safe for consumption, not only must they be free of any pesticides, but they must also be traceable. “Traceability” means that when a food safety hazard occurs, the cause can be traced back from planting, production, and sales, and the product can be recalled.

Why is organic tea difficult to promote?

Troublesome: Everything needs to be recorded, agricultural materials must be carefully selected, and tea processing factories must undergo organic processing certification. Neighbor field pollution: Various fields in Taiwan are closely connected. When adjacent fields use pesticides, pollution may occur in tea gardens through the air, which is the most common problem with organic tea. Pesticide residue test values are usually very low, less than 0.05 ppm, and are not easy to detect. Taste adjustment: Not all land is suitable for tea growth, or the soil composition can produce good tea flavors. When conducting organic cultivation, non-organic certified fertilizers cannot be used to adjust tea flavors. Simply put, tea cannot change its flavor through fertilizer use. It`s like a fitness enthusiast can only eat organic certified boiled chicken breast, not protein powder or other highly concentrated nutritional supplements. High production costs: Organic tea garden management material costs are high and require more labor costs. Verification costs are high: Organic verification fees are expensive, and organic verification in different countries is not necessarily interchangeable.

In summary, whether tea is “organic” or not, as long as the tea leaves meet food safety regulations, the tea flavor is liked, the tea price is affordable, and the tea story is enjoyable, it is the best tea.