Is Matcha environmentally-friendly?

If there’s a drink that we absolutely love, not only for the health benefits but also for the taste is: Matcha!
 In our journey towards a sustainable lifestyle, we have asked ourselves:
Is Matcha environmentally-friendly?
How does its production impact the environment?

Great news: matcha appears to be moderately sustainable. This hearty, earthy-tasting tea is the shade-grown highest-quality green tea that is finely ground into powder. It has a unique farming technique compared to regular green tea plants. That is shading. Green tea plants intended for matcha are shaded from the bright sun for about 3 weeks before harvest. During shading, the matcha green tea plants grow more mentally calming theanine and the naturally green chlorophyll.

Matcha is the only kind of tea that uses the entire leaf which creates less waste.

"A typical tea plant that is used to produce matcha can live for a half-century or more, making it one of the most sustainable and environmental food crops in existence" shared “Matcha Tea” on its site.

According to HEALabel "matcha production is relatively sustainable, there is no known significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as pesticides have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc."

Compared with most other kinds of crops, matcha can be among the most earth-friendly of all. Much depends, however, on the ways in which the growers deal with such issues as crop rotation, processing and sustainable business practices.

That’s why our decisions matter to mindfully lessen our impact on the Earth.
As consumers, we have the power to support sustainable tea. 

What can we all do?
- Purchase “fair trade” products.
- Choose organic products sold as loose tea leaves instead of tea bags since involves less processing, fewer resources and of course simpler packaging.
- Research, research and research….Find out what’s behind the companies you’re buying tea from. Find out if the producer follows fair trade guidelines, uses sustainable agricultural practices and treats its labor force equitably.

Some brands to try: Mizuba tea; Encha; Matcha Yu; Ceremony Matcha.

Matcha is packed with health benefits:
- Rich in antioxidants - Matcha is rich in catechins, a class of plant compounds in tea that act as natural antioxidants. Antioxidants help stabilize harmful free radicals and prevent cell damage.



- Decrease stress - Matcha’s key anti-stress ingredient is L-theanine, an amino acid predominantly found in Camellia sinensis, the green tea plant used to produce matcha. It decreases stress and induce relaxation naturally by increasing alpha waves in the brain.



- Supports detox -  Due to its high amounts of chlorophyll, Matcha acts as a fantastic detoxer, cleansing the body from harmful toxins. ⁠

- Boosts Immunity - Matcha has a special catechin antioxidant called EGCG that reduces inflammation and fights pathogens.



- Boosts brain function - The unique combination of caffeine (stimulating) and L-Theanine (relaxing) causes beneficial effects on memory and sustained attention⁠.



- Easy to prepare. You can make traditional matcha tea by sifting 2–4 grams of matcha powder into your cup, adding 50 ml of hot water, and mixing it together with a bamboo whisk. Or try a matcha latte which is just delicious! You can do matcha cakes, pancakes and much more! Be creative!


If you’re already a matcha lover, we’re sure that after this post you will hug your warm mug even tighter ;)

Happy Thursday