据英国《金融时报》旗下杂志《这是非洲》近日报道，在东部非洲，虽然茶业的价格一直维持较高水平，但由于全球气候变暖正在威胁农产品的发展，因此东非茶业行业的前景还存在着很多风险。
肯尼亚茶产量连年下降
肯尼亚梅鲁的米齐姆库鲁茶被认为是世界市场上品质最高的茶，但目前当地的降雨量越来越少，昔日发源自山上的河流大部分都减少了流量，甚至有些河水已经消失，这种情况让当地的9000名茶农非常担忧，因为水源的减少就意味着茶叶产量的减低。
茶叶通常生长在地势相对高，靠近赤道的地区，因此非常容易受长期气候变化的影响。随着降雨量的减少和气候变暖，如今米齐姆库鲁10公里以外几乎全是半沙漠，只剩下一个日益干旱的米齐姆库鲁绿洲。同时因为迟来而且短暂的雨季，已经造成茶叶的严重减产，在过去的3年中茶叶产量一直以平均每年百分之三十的速度减少。早在2006年，这一地区出口的茶叶数量曾达到1千9百万千克，但到了2008年，出口数量则下降到了1千3百万千克。
由于气温升高使得更多的微生物在高海拔地区也能生存。在这里种植茶叶已经30年的安德鲁依苏如说，在过去10年里，气候变化的速度加快了，经常会出现反复无常的降雨和较大的病虫害。他说：“因为降雨不足，我们已经连续三年欠收了。在2009年最后一个季度，茶叶价格的上涨并不多，只是刚好抵消多年来茶叶减产的亏损。”
气候变暖是主要原因
肯尼亚气候与土地相互作用项目和政府间气候变化专门委员会预计，当气温增加1.5度至3度，以及降雨量出现很大差异，无论是干旱或洪涝，茶叶的种植面积都会减少，这将对当地经济和社会都会造成持久的影响。
肯尼亚农业部负责环境管理的助理主任伊斯特马甘博说：“我们在米齐姆库鲁地区所看到的情况并不只是在当地发生，在肯尼亚传统的干旱地区，如东北省和东部海岸地区，这样的情况更糟糕。”
气候变化的原因在全球范围内被认为是二氧化碳排放量的增加，但是针对某个地区的具体解决办法却没有。米齐姆库鲁所面临的问题，从根本上来说，和人类居住的增加、农业产品种植单一化对环境影响都有很大的关系，而缺乏对水资源的有效管理和大量砍伐森林才是主要的原因。
国际社会协助改变现状
英国最大的公平贸易热饮公司“直达咖啡”一直与德国发展机构GTZ和艾蔓尼顾问发展公司合作一个前沿项目，他们希望这个项目能使当地农民适应这些不可避免的变化，以减轻对当地环境的影响。这个被称为Adapcc的项目一直鼓励农民改变单一作物种植的模式，他们建议茶农在种植茶叶的同时也种植其他的农作物以缓解燃眉之急。比如种植适应当地环境和气候生长，产量也比较高的菠菜、百香果等等。在这个项目的推动下，茶农有了更加灵活的经营模式和资金来源，慢慢的一些农民也明显扩大了茶的产量。
“直达咖啡”的首席执行官安妮麦凯格说：“很明显，茶叶生产正在遭到威胁，米齐姆库鲁在未来茶叶生产的可持续发展中将会面临巨大挑战。”不过她建议说：“百香果正在成为新的热门作物，因为在当下的气候条件中它们能够非常健壮地生长。“直达咖啡”也许接下来就要重点考虑收购出产自非洲的百香果了。”
Adapcc项目还引进了土壤管理技术，包括化肥的使用和退化河岸造林，以及引进节能技术，减少薪柴用量以减少森林砍伐现象。工程师贾帕斯沙伊正在对微风发电进行可行性研究，如果这种发电项目可行的话，自然环境中潜在的能源就可以变成电能销售给电网，这在一定程度上可以抵消因为主要农作物产量下降而出现的亏损，同时也可以作为长期替代茶叶收入的一个有力补充。而这种方法也是适应现今茶叶产业萎缩情况的一个战略需要。
英文版
According to British "Financial Times" magazine's "This is Africa" recently reported that in eastern Africa, although the price of tea has maintained a high level, but because of global warming is threatening the development of agricultural products, so the East African tea industry prospects, there are still many risks.
Kenya's tea production declined year by year
Meru, Kenya tea, rice tim Kourou is considered the world market the highest quality of tea, but less and less rainfall in the ground, once issued from the mountain rivers have reduced most of the traffic, and even some of the river have disappeared that this situation so that the local tea farmers are very concerned about 9000 because it means less water to reduce the production of tea.
Tea is usually grown in relatively high terrain near the equator region, so it is vulnerable to long-term climate change. With the reduction in rainfall and climate warming, and now m tim 10 km from Kourou almost all semi-desert, leaving a growing oasis in arid m tim Kourou. At the same time because of late and the short rainy season has caused a serious cut of tea in the past three years, tea production has an average annual rate of 30% reduction. As early as 2006, the volume of tea exports to this region had reached a 1000 9 1 million kilograms, but in 2008, the export volume decreased to one thousand three one million kilograms.
As the temperatures enable more micro-organisms survive in the high-altitude regions. Tea has been planted here 30 years, according to Andrew Su, such as that in the past 10 years, climate change, accelerated, and often appears erratic rainfall and large pests and diseases. He said: "Because of insufficient rainfall, we have three consecutive years of poor harvests. In the last quarter of 2009, tea prices are not many, but just cut to offset the loss of tea for many years."
Climate warming is the main reason
Interaction between climate and land projects in Kenya and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is expected, when the temperature increased by 1.5 degrees to 3 degrees, and there was a great difference in rainfall, either drought or floods, tea acreage will be reduced, which will have a local will result in lasting economic and social impact.
Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for environmental management, assistant director of Yisitema Gamble, said: "We m tim Kourou area had seen not only in the local occurrence of drought in Kenya, the traditional areas such as North Eastern Province and the eastern coastal areas Such a situation is even worse. "
Causes of climate change on a global scale is considered the increase in carbon dioxide emissions, but for a region-specific solutions did not. M zim the problems faced by Kourou, fundamentally speaking, and the increase in human settlements, agricultural products grown on the environmental impact of a single-system has a significant relationship, and the lack of effective management of water resources and massive deforestation is the the main reason.
The international community to help change the status quo
The UK's largest fair trade hot drinks company "direct coffee" has been working with the German development agency GTZ and the AI Man-Nepal cooperation in a cutting edge consultancy Development Corporation project, they hope this project will enable local farmers to adapt to these inevitable changes in order to reduce the local environment impact. This is known as AdapCC project has been to encourage farmers to change the single-crop cultivation patterns, they recommended that tea farmers in the cultivation of tea, but also the cultivation of other crops to alleviate the pressing need. Such as growing to adapt to the local environment and climate growth, yield is also higher spinach, passion fruit and so on. Under the impetus of this project, tea farmers have a more flexible business models and funding sources, and slowly some of the farmers has also increased the production of tea.
"Direct coffee" CEO Anne Kay, said: "Obviously, tea production is threatened, m tim kuru in the future sustainable development of tea production will face a huge challenge." However, she suggested that the : "Passion Fruit is becoming a hot new crop, as in the present climatic conditions in that they can grow very robust." directly to coffee "may be the next focus should consider acquiring a passion fruit produce from Africa."
AdapCC project has also introduced soil management techniques, including fertilizer use and degradation of riparian forests, as well as the introduction of energy-saving technologies to reduce firewood consumption in order to reduce deforestation phenomenon. Engineers are being jakpa Si Shayi Breeze Power conduct a feasibility study, if this power generation project feasible, the natural environment can be transformed into potential energy on the electricity sold to grid, which to some extent, offset the decline in crop yield because the main the emergence of a loss, but also can be used as a long-term alternative to tea, a powerful supplement income. This approach is also the tea industry to adapt to the current situation of a shrinking strategic needs.
