Seminar Title: Tea and the taste of climate change

Speaker: Selena Ahmed

Seminar Link: https://jsis.washington.edu/china/news/tea-and-the-taste-of-climate-change/

Seminar Location: Room 301 Thomson Hall, University of Washington

Seminar Sponsor: China Studies Program

What is the impact of climate change on specialty crop quality? How can agroecological management practices mitigate climatic risk in food system? In this seminar, Dr. Selena Ahmed, explores these questions using tea as a case study. Climate change is impacting agro-ecosystems, crops, and farmer livelihoods in communities worldwide. While it is well understood that more frequent and intense climate events in many areas are resulting in a decline in crop yields, the impact on crop quality is less acknowledged, yet it is critical for food systems that benefit both farmers and consumers through high quality products. This study examines tea (Camellia sinensis; Theaceae), the world’s most widely consumed beverage after water, as a study system to measure effects of climate variability on crop quality and associated farmer knowledge, preferences, and livelihoods. The ultimate goal of this work is to facilitate societal actions towards enhanced sustainability of food systems. This project is supported by the NSF Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH) Program.