Why is there a matcha shortage?
The global matcha shortage is largely driven by a sudden and massive rise in demand. What was once a traditional Japanese tea has become a global lifestyle product, fueled by social media, café culture, and the growing wellness trend. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have made matcha visually appealing and trendy, while consumers increasingly see it as a cleaner, more sustained energy alternative to coffee. As a result, demand has expanded far beyond Japan, reaching markets that the industry was never originally built to supply.
At the same time, supply has struggled to keep up, not because producers aren’t trying, but because matcha is inherently limited. Only a small portion of Japan’s tea production is suitable for matcha, and the highest quality grades rely on the first spring harvest. While production has increased over the years, it cannot match the speed at which global demand is growing.
Another major factor is the declining workforce in Japan’s tea farming industry. The number of tea farmers has dropped significantly over the years, and many of those still in the field are aging, with fewer younger people stepping in to continue the craft. This creates a bottleneck in production capacity, as matcha farming and processing require skill, experience, and time to master. Without enough labor, even maintaining current production levels becomes a challenge.
The production process itself also limits supply. Matcha is one of the most labor intensive teas in the world. The plants must be shaded for weeks before harvest, the leaves carefully hand picked, and then processed into tencha by removing stems and veins. Finally, the leaves are stone ground into powder at a very slow pace to preserve quality.
Weather and climate conditions have further worsened the situation. Matcha is highly sensitive to environmental changes, and recent heatwaves, irregular seasons, and extreme weather events have negatively impacted crop yields and quality.
All of these factors combined have strained the supply chain. Producers have already used up much of their stored reserves to meet rising demand, leaving little buffer for future shortages. This imbalance between a rapidly growing global appetite and a slow, traditional, and climate-sensitive production system is ultimately what’s driving the matcha shortage today.
So the next time you drink your matcha, savour it remembering the efforts taken to make that bit of green gold!
Having enjoyed matcha regularly for years, I can personally attest to how its popularity has surged beyond just traditional settings. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have truly transformed matcha into a trendy, must-have wellness beverage, which explains the rapid rise in global demand mentioned in the article. From my experience, one of the most fascinating aspects of matcha production is how specialized and labor-intensive the process is. Unlike many teas, matcha cultivation requires shading the tea plants weeks before harvest to boost their chlorophyll and amino acids, giving matcha its vibrant green color and unique umami flavor. The hand-picking and stone-grinding elements ensure quality but also limit how quickly producers can scale up production. Moreover, I’ve read and observed that the demographic challenges in Japan’s tea farming—where fewer young people are entering the industry—create a real concern for the continuity of traditional matcha production skills. This aging workforce issue is not something many consumers might be aware of but directly affects the quantity and quality of matcha available worldwide. On a personal level, weather conditions have impacted my local tea community’s annual harvests, and it’s no surprise that climate change is affecting matcha yield and quality in Japan. Heatwaves and irregular seasons can stress tea plants and reduce output, making shortages more frequent. All these factors create a fragile balance between demand and supply. As a lover of this ‘green gold,’ I’ve learned to appreciate matcha more mindfully, savoring each cup as a product of centuries-old tradition, skill, and increasingly complex global supply challenges. For those of us who enjoy matcha often, supporting sustainable producers and being patient with occasional shortages may help preserve this cherished tea for the future.
