An innovative art installation made up of more than 300 litres of tea was commissioned by the SA Rooibos Council (SARC) in celebration of World Environment Day which falls on June 5 this year.

In a statement by the SARC, it said the 40m² art installation took over 70 hours to create, including a design team of eight and 320 litres of tea.

SARC director’s Nicie Vorster said the industry is renewing its focus on sustainability.

“Ecosystems all over the world are being destabilised due to human impacts,” said Vorster.

“Our warming climate, water scarcity, extreme weather, the increase in infectious diseases and loss of biodiversity are all effects of human intervention. There is such a close link between rooibos and its environment in which climate and weather conditions directly influence production.

“While agricultural practices can be adapted, changes such as increased temperatures, water shortages and weather extremes create challenges for rooibos farmers and agriculture as a whole,” she said.

Vorster added it is important to address and mitigate the effects of climate change and requires a collective effort by businesses, NGOs, development organisations and policymakers, as well as the rooibos industry.

“The changes that have over time taken place within the sector, as part of its goal to becoming more sustainable, have already begun to yield, and will continue to deliver, consistent, positive social and environmental outcomes, while also strengthening the economic viability of the sector.”

She said that to symbolically demonstrate the industry’s uncompromising commitment to sustainability, they had decided to conduct the art installation to culminate with World Environment Day.

“A mixed media artist, Gina Waldman, was commissioned for the art installation, which consists of almost 2 000 cups of various rooibos tea blends that have been carefully positioned to form a globe when viewed from atop,” said the statement.

Waldman said in the statement the artwork is intended to draw viewers in to take a closer look and decipher the meaning of the work.

“We want the public to engage with the artwork and hope that it will assist in the transition towards a more eco-conscious and sustainable society,” said Waldman.

“It serves as a powerful reminder that we all need to play our part in our everyday lives to protect and restore our beautiful planet.”

Vorster also said in the statement they chose to illustrate their pledge towards social and environmental stewardship in a creative way, because art has the ability to connect with people on emotional and subliminal levels, sometimes inspiring a heightened appreciation for nature or a re-evaluation of human progress.

“It helps to shape how we view and understand the world, encouraging discussion – in this case about environmental and sustainability issues and often brings people together to unite behind a common cause,” said Vorster.

She added that an estimated 5 000 farmworkers are employed by the rooibos sector and additional employment is created in upstream activities, such as processing, packaging and retailing.

“On average, about 14 000 tons of rooibos are produced every year, of which half is consumed locally, while the rest is exported to more than 30 countries across the globe. Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, UK and the US are currently the biggest importers of the tea.

“While enormous strides have been made to make the rooibos tea chain more sustainable, we can always do more, and we will build on the foundation we have to continue working on all three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, economic and social, while also taking the Agenda 2030 Sustainability Development Goals into account.

“As our sustainability journey continues to gain momentum, we are encouraging other industries and the public to also play their part in preserving the environment and building a green economy in which all can thrive,” said Vorster.