The surge in "green powder" has stalled. A true phenomenon on social media and in coffee shops around the world, matcha" is likely to become harder to find in France. It must be said that in one year, global demand has more than tripled. In 2023, exports jumped by 33% compared to the previous year.
Japanese tea companies are warning of the possibility of a large-scale shortage in the coming months. The first signs were felt last December, when producer Ippodo announced it was rolling out new purchasing restrictions. From then on, it was only possible to purchase one product per order. On its website, Ippodo explained that demand had "exploded beyond all expectations", reports Le Monde. Several Parisian establishments, interviewed by the French daily, explained that delivery times have been significantly extended and that some suppliers are advising their customers to buy larger stocks in anticipation.
A market under pressure
In addition to the unprecedented craze for this drink, the country is struggling to cope with the departure of its producers of tencha, the tea from which matcha originates. As a reminder, this is a green tea that is kept in the shade for three weeks using nets. This deprivation of light gives it its increased chlorophyll content and therefore its particular color. Then, it takes one hour of grinding to obtain 40 grams of matcha, and this after the leaves have been steamed and dried.
The process is tedious and time-consuming, especially when you consider that a planted tree needs five years to reach maturity. Planting new tea bushes is therefore not a miracle solution for the industry, which must also deal with labor problems and the country's demographic decline.
Indeed, the majority of farmers are over 65 and they are unable to find a buyer for their farms. While production increased significantly between 2012 and 2023 — two years ago, three times more matcha was produced than at the beginning of the previous decade, according to the ministry Agriculture — 200,000 farmers ceased their activity between 2020 and 2023.
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