According to the Public Relations Office of The Association of Tea Producers, Traders and Tea Packaging Industry of Iran, citing the Tea Organization of Iran, the United Nations has designated May 21 as World Tea Day.

Tea is a product with a history spanning several thousand years in the East and, as a result, holds significant cultural and spiritual value.

Today, tea is consumed throughout the world and is the second most widely consumed beverage after water.

Tea offers important health benefits, supports the livelihoods of millions of farmers, and provides various environmental benefits.

This year’s World Tea Day, under the slogan “A Cup of Tea Brings Everyone Together,” highlights the important role of smallholder farmers in tea production. More than 60% of the world’s tea production, valued at approximately $18 billion, is the result of the efforts of this group of farmers. In Iran, more than 70% of tea production is also attributed to smallholder farmers.

Tea was introduced to Iran through the efforts of Kashef al-Saltaneh and began to be cultivated in the country’s two northern provinces. As he himself wrote, once planted, tea can be harvested for hundreds of years, is not affected by pests, and, due to its evergreen nature, creates beautiful landscapes.

According to the latest studies, Iranian tea has been found to have a stronger cancer-inhibiting effect than foreign varieties.