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Fair Trade and Tea...the fastest growing segment of the fair trade market.The words Fair Trade and Tea have not been used together until fairly recent in tea's long history, but we are seeing an unprecedented growth in the fair trade tea. Tea producers are in trouble...but there is hope. ~~~~~~~~~~ HERE ARE A FEW FACTS ABOUT FAIR TRADE AND TEA: Tea is one of the most popular and oldest beverages around the world. As a matter of fact, legend has it that tea was discovered in 2737 B.C. when some leaves accidentally dropped into Emperor Shen Nung's cup of boiling water. Since that time, tea has moved to all corners of the world. As a matter of fact, tea consumption has reached a new high in the last decade. The world's largest producers of tea are China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey. Other tea growing countries are Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Argentina, Iran, Bangladesh, Malawi and Uganda. World tea production has recently reached nearly 5 million tons, up from 3.2 million tons in 2004. ~~~~~~~~~~ FACTORS WE CANNOT CONTROL: Tea consumption has been growing, thanks to all the news of its healthful benefits. But production has been growing even faster. Like coffee, the price for tea is dropping to an all time low due to overproduction, and the small farmers are suffering for it. The tea industry is subject to market prices which vary widely due to drought conditions, over or under production in certain areas and other natural factors farmers cannot control.
Tea farms may look beautiful, shimmering green in the tropical sun, but we don't see the underlying environmental and social issues. Tea farmers have replaced tropical forests with single-species mono-cropping leading to sail erosion, competition for water and pollution from fertilizers. Firewood is used to fuel tea dryersand results in further deforestation. On the socioeconomic side of things, tea workers lack health care, decent housing, job security and the right to organize. Together with the abundance of tea and the world tea prices dropping, it has become very difficult for the small tea farmers to make a living.
Fair trade tea is one of the fasted growing Fair Trade Certified products, with an unprecedented growth of 187% in 2005. Fair Trade and tea certification ensures that the farmers are paid a premium over the market price, which goes into a community development fund. Fair trade tea also supports environmentally sustainable farming methods and organic farming. Tea estates are set up with democratically elected representatives who manage the funds of association members, who designate proceeds to community projects that have the biggest needs. Fair trade and tea support community learning centers, healthcare programs, clean water and toilets for every household and educational endowments. Most of the tea growers in the world are smallholders and need your support!
FAIR TRADE AND TEA CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
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