Roughly how many tonnes of processed, ready to brew tea are produced around the world in one year?
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Answer
About 6.7 million tonnes
Black, green, white and oolong tea all come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The differences come from how the leaves are processed.
How to estimate it
Tea is the most widely drunk beverage after water. Some people drink five cups a day and many drink none, so assume one cup per person per day worldwide. A cup uses about 2 grams of dry leaf. 8 billion × 2 g × 365 days = 5.8 trillion grams, which is 5.8 million tonnes. Actual world production is about 6.7 million tonnes.
Source: FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea
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