the tea market | France

Tea, with 1.5 billion cups drunk every day, is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water. Established in China, introduced to Japan at the end of the 8th century and an integral part of British culture, tea also has a special place in Middle Eastern cultures. This global character of tea is reflected in the long list of countries in which tea is consumed.

Tea is a drink obtained from the leaves of the tea plant (about 200 species), infused in hot water. The types of teas are segmented by their colours (black, green, Oolong, yellow, white and post-fermented) which differ according to the treatment of the harvested leaves. Rooibos or "red tea" is actually an infusion obtained from the leaves of Aspalathus linearis, which is only found in South Africa, and not from the tea plant.

Consumption patterns differ from country to country. In France, tea is mostly consumed in sachets. Black tea is consumed twice as much as green tea, despite less growth. The most popular tea segments are those evoking travel (Darjeeling, Ceylon).

In this study, we will focus on the tea market consumed at home as well as the market consumed outside of home. The tea market is growing rapidly worldwide and is growing significantly in France -  where in 2018 it represented 0.4% of the world market.