The sudden rise of matcha’s popularity on social media is a key factor to the shortage we are facing globally. With every double tap we leave on a new matcha latte recipe online, the deeper we fall in the vortex of shortages. So much so that Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries reports that 4,176 tons of matcha were produced in 2023, which is a three-fold increase since 2010.
And it’s not just matcha—pistachios, avocados, almonds, and many such ingredients are tilting towards the whirlpool of excess demand. And this pressure to mass produce in order to meet the demand has left dire implications economically, socially, and environmentally.
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