Page 36 - FoodFocusThailand No.231 June 2025

SPECIAL
SPECIAL FOCUS FOCUS

Revolutionizing Coffee and Tea Industry:

Smart and Sustainable Production

Coffee and tea are beloved beverages worldwide, playing vital roles in the cultures and daily lives of people
across the globe. Historically, their production relied heavily on manual labor and region-specific techniques.
Today, however, emerging technologies, collectively known as smart production, are increasingly transforming
how coffee and tea are cultivated and processed. These technological innovations enhance efficiency and
improve quality control throughout the production chain, from cultivation and packaging to supply chain
management. Furthermore, they help address environmental challenges that impact both manufacturing
practices and final product quality.

The Evolution of Coffee and Tea Production distribution. In the 20 century, the invention of the tea bag
th
Originating in Ethiopia, coffee was traditionally produced revolutionized tea consumption by making it more convenient,
with extensive human labor at nearly every stage, from quickly gaining popularity worldwide. Leading companies like
harvesting to roasting. As a result, it became deeply Lipton and Nestlé embraced modern technologies to streamline
embedded in daily life and cultural rituals in many societies. the production of bagged tea and instant coffee, offering
In contrast, tea, which originated in China, first gained consumers greater convenience. However, mass production
popularity in Asia before spreading to Europe in the 17 th has its drawbacks, placing increasing strain on the environment
century. Each tea variety involves distinct production and natural resources. This has fueled the demand for innovative
methods: green tea is unfermented; black tea undergoes full technologies that support more sustainable production practices.
fermentation to intensify flavor; and oolong tea is partially
fermented. Historically, tea production also demanded Technologies for Sustainable Development of the
considerable manual labor, including leaf harvesting, Coffee and Tea Industry
fermentation, roasting, and drying, each requiring skill to 1. Automation and Precision Agriculture
achieve optimal flavor and quality. - Harvest Automation
The advent of the Industrial Revolution marked the Traditionally, plantation workers manually sorted tea leaves
beginning of machinery integration into automated coffee and coffee beans. Today, however, large plantations increasingly
and tea production. Innovations such as large-scale coffee rely on machines to efficiently harvest these crops, significantly
roasting machines and vacuum packaging were introduced reducing the need for manual labor and speeding up the
to preserve product freshness and flavor. These technological production process. Modern harvest automation can also
advancements paved the way for mass production and global
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