On January 16th, Launch Event for Carbon-labeled Agricultural Products and the First Anxi Tieguanyin Carbon-neutral Tea was successfully held at the Institute of Agricultural Environment and Sustainable Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IEDA-CAAS). Jointly hosted by IEDA-CAAS, the National Science and Technology Innovation Alliance for Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality in Agriculture and Rural Areas, the People's Government of Anxi County, and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, the event focused on the core goal of agricultural low-carbon transformation and officially launched China's first certified carbon-neutral Anxi Tieguanyin tea product. This milestone marks a breakthrough in carbon footprint accounting, carbon label promotion, and carbon neutrality practice within China's tea industry.

The event was co-hosted by Hao Zhiqiang, Secretary of the Party Committee of IEDA-CAAS, and Hao Weiping, Deputy Director General of IEDA-CAAS. During the core session, Hao officially unveiled the "Carbon-Neutral Anxi Tieguanyin Tea." As introduced, the product has undergone carbon footprint accounting and third-party certification. Based on ecological tea garden construction, it adopts core measures including organic material substitution, microalgae fertilizer supplementation, biodiversity restoration, and reduced mechanical usage to achieve systematic carbon sequestration and emission reduction. It is the first product in China's Tieguanyin tea sector to carry a clear carbon-neutral label.

Yi Keke, Director General of IEDA-CAAS, and leaders from Anxi County jointly awarded the 2025 "Carbon Labeled Agricultural Product" certification to Anxi Tieguanyin, highlighting the product's dual authority in low-carbon production and standard certification. Additionally, Yi and Dong Hongyan, Vice President of the China Green Food Association, jointly announced four newly released group standards: General Rules for the Application of Carbon Labels on Agricultural Products, Greenhouse Gases – Quantification Methods and Requirements for Product Carbon Footprint – Cultivated Agricultural Products, Greenhouse Gases – Quantification Methods and Requirements for Product Carbon Footprint – Tea, and Greenhouse Gases – Quantification Methods and Requirements for Product Carbon Footprint – Organic Fertilizer. These standards were led by IEDA-CAAS and are managed by the China Green Food Association.

Furthermore, the event featured a signing ceremony for new cooperation on carbon–labeled agricultural products. Multiple entities, including Jiangsu State Farms Group and Anxi Bama Tea Industry, reached a consensus to conduct in-depth collaboration on carbon label certification and low-carbon technology promotion. This demonstrates a cooperative momentum of cross-regional and multi-stakeholder synergy in advancing the application of agricultural carbon labels.

In the subsequent roundtable forum, guests including Sun Junmao (Director General of the Institute of Quality Standards and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Professors Lin Wenxiong and Liao Hong from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Xie Jianxin (Deputy County Mayor of Anxi County), Zhou Haiyan (General Manager of the Agricultural Industry Service Department, China Unicom Group Government and Enterprise Customer Business Group), and Yang Lu (Deputy General Manager of China Agricultural Group Modern Agricultural Service Co., Ltd.) conducted in-depth discussions around the theme "Carbon Labels Promote Green Transformation of Agriculture." From perspectives such as policy support, market empowerment, certification standards, and product practice, they explored innovative paths and future directions for carbon neutrality in the tea industry. The participants unanimously agreed that integrating carbon management into all links of agricultural product R&D, cultivation, processing, and sales, and using carbon labels for visualization and market-oriented guidance, is a core project to promote the green and low-carbon transformation of China's agriculture. This requires joint efforts from R&D institutions, market entities, government management departments, consumers, and other stakeholders.

Through product launch, standard promotion, cooperation signing, and expert discussions, the event systematically showcased the phased achievements of China in promoting the construction of the agricultural carbon label system. The launch of the first carbon-neutral Anxi Tieguanyin tea not only provides consumers with a new low-carbon consumption option but also offers a practical model for national agricultural product carbon neutrality management, supporting the solid implementation of the "dual carbon" (carbon peaking and carbon neutrality) goals in China's agriculture and rural areas. Looking ahead, IEDA-CAAS will continue to promote the development and international cooperation of carbon–labeled agricultural products, expand their coverage, and advance the formulation of national standards such as the General Rules for the Application of Carbon Labels on Agricultural Products and standards for cultivated agricultural products. The future development of low-carbon agricultural products will be characterized by standard leadership, technology-driven innovation, market empowerment, and global collaboration, with its internationalization trend shifting from one-way technology export to two-way standard mutual recognition and value chain win-win outcomes.