The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Rome participated in the celebration of International Tea Day (ITD) organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome on 21 May 2024.
The theme of this year's celebration was “Women’s vital roles in the tea industry and how to overcome the challenges they face”.
In his opening remarks of the formal session, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said that women play a crucial role in the tea industry, substantially contributing to its sustainability, productivity, and community development; their contributions underpin the industry's economic viability, social fabric, and sustainable development.
During the event, a high-level panel of Permanent Representatives to FAO was organized in relation to women’s role, culture, economics, and history in the tea industry.
Chargé d’ Affaires a.i. of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Rome Ratnasingam Kohularangan, intervened in this high-level panel and made his remarks outlining the pivotal role of the women in the tea industry from crop to cup and thanked all women in the tea sector for their contribution to the development of the country's economy and feeding the world with the best Ceylon Tea.
During the high-level panel, matters related to improving access to resources, the importance of training and education, strategies for facilitating market access, and the need for greater gender diversity in leadership and representation in decision-making were discussed. The dialogue offered a platform to share testimonies from women who have overcome their diverse challenges and turning them into success stories. It also showcased best practices enabling women to contribute significantly to the growth of the tea and coffee sectors.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka also maintained a booth displaying high-quality Ceylon Tea verities including seven-region black tea sample. In addition, the Embassy served yard tea, black tea, ginger tea, and tea with some spices with Sri Lankan sweetmeats to the participants promoting the Sri Lankan tea culture.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Rome
27 May 2024
