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Fancy
a cuppa?
Every day we drink
165 million cups of tea in the UK - that equates to 60,000 million tea
bags a year! Quite a lot of tea! Sadly only 10% of that tea is Fairtrade,
meaning that the other 90% of tea sold has been grown by farmers working
hard in a physically demanding role for a pittance. For example, a Kenyan
tea plucker working in the recent drought conditions would struggle to
pick three kilos of tea leaves to sell after an eight hour day. This yields
very little income to support their family. Similarly in Malawi small
scale tea farmers are struggling to earn just 8,000 kwacha a month (about
£34). Not enough to afford even the most basic needs.
The UK's top 5 tea brands currently account for 72% of the UK tea market
and by not operating to Fairtrade standards are directly impoverishing
over a million tea workers worldwide. Traidcraft is leading a campaign
to encourage the Big 5 to switch to Fairtrade. This need not mean changing
their suppliers or altering the quality or taste of their tea, it need
not mean a change in flavour, it simply means changing their practice
to ensure that tea growers and pluckers are paid a fair wage and treated
with respect.
Traidcraft would like to encourage tea drinkers to write to tea companies
and ask them to meet Fairtrade criteria. Some companies already have their
own "fair trade" projects and policies, but the International
Fairtrade Mark is the only independent and regulated guarantee that globally
agreed Fairtrade standards have been met. It is the gold standard we can
trust to be monitored and upheld.
The Big 5 are Twinings, Yorkshire Tea, Tetley, Typhoo and PG Tips. You
can add your voice to the campaign by writing to your favourite brew.
Ask them to make the switch to Fairtrade. Emphasise that while they may
already have taken steps towards improved working conditions, Fairtrade
is the only scheme which guarantees tea producers a minimum price for
their tea, gives an extra Fairtrade premium for investment in their community,
and ensures both environmental and economical sustainability.
For more information on the campaign go to www.makeitfair.org.uk
or contact the Torrington Fairtrade Group on 01805 622143.
Leave a tea stain on your table, but not on your conscience.
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