FAIR TRADE

December 15th is International Tea Day – a day when tea producing countries across the World draw attention of governments and citizens on the impact of tea trade on workers, small growers and consumers.  Please consider choosing “Fair Trade Certified™” teas when you shop.

Fair Trade is a special partnership between tea growers, tea pickers, tea traders and tea drinkers that creates a positive cycle that works for the betterment of human lives and the ecosystem – not to mention the long-term cultivation of great tea! It offers consumers an opportunity to choose quality and taste while choosing to directly benefit the lives of tea farmers and pickers.

The “Fair Trade Certified™” tea program was launched in 2001 and includes products derived from the Tea Plants, Camellia sinensis and Camellia assamica. Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) was added in 2005 and Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), and plants in the Mint genus (Mentha), including Peppermint (Mentha piperita) and Spearmint (Mentha spicata) in 2006 to offer caffeine-free options for Fair Trade tea enthusiasts. In the US, Fair Trade Standards are enforced by TransFair USA – a non-profit organization affiliated with the international Fairtrade Labeling Organizations (FLO) who sets and regularly reviews the worldwide Fair Trade Standards. TransFair USA also authorizes the use of the “Fair Trade Certified™” label in the US.

Over 120,000 tea pickers and their families are currently benefiting from Fair Trade in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, China, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. The benefits include that specific standards for wages, safe working and living conditions are met.  Small-scale tea producers gain direct market access and develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace. Plus, for every fair trade purchase, a portion goes directly back to the workers who decide how to best utilize the funds to benefit their community.  Fair Trade premiums have financed new computer learning centers and educational scholarships, healthcare programs that include nutrition, vaccination and special medical needs, clean drinking water and toilets for every household plus pension funds for retired workers.  According to the TransFair USA 2003 Annual Report, US “Fair Trade Certified™” tea sales generated over $85,000 in additional funds that tea workers have used to improve their communities. In addition Fair Trade promotes the use of sustainable farming methods that are safer for humans and the environment.  This benefits the worker’s health, maintains the soil, and it helps to protect the environment on a global scale.  Look for the “Fair Trade Certified™” label as a simple way to know that the products were produced under socially, economically and environmentally sustainable conditions.

TEA TIME TIDBITS
In the United States
nearly 100% of “Fair Trade Certified™” tea
is also certified organic.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8