Where Does Your Tea Come From?
By Suzie Brucklacher
Most of the time, tea is just tea. More often than not, “fair trade” is not so fair. The conventional, and even fair-trade, tea models are failing farmers. Equal Exchange (EE) is creating an alternative model that works FOR small farmers, rather than against them.
The traditional tea market favors large plantations and their wealthy owners, and puts workers in poverty, without agency and with little hope for their futures. At EE, “fair trade” means creating relationships with small farmers that reflects this alternative model. EE tea comes from democratically organized small farmer groups, not plantations or estates. EE works directly with farmer groups to pay them a fair price for their tea, offer affordable credit, and solve problems collaboratively.
The corruption that goes along with conventional growing leads to dangerous living and working conditions - poor access to sanitation, little safety equipment, often no clean drinking water. Plantations prioritize mass production, stripping the soil of nutrients, disrupting local ecosystems, and damaging the environment. Co-operative tea farmers decide democratically to prioritize worker safety and farm health, and invest in the community. They care for the environment through organic farming, combatting erosion, and restoring biodiversity.
EE pays tea farmers a price that reflects the real value of the tea, well above the inequitable market price. EE is committed to the success of the tea co-ops, investing in their farms and revitalization projects.
Most tea is sold at large auctions, leading to poor traceability and a disconnect between farmers and consumers. EE builds relationships with their partners by visiting them, working to understand their challenges, and achieving success together.
You can feel good about EE tea because you are helping an alternative supply chain that values farmers, their futures, and the environment.
By Suzie Brucklacher
Most of the time, tea is just tea. More often than not, “fair trade” is not so fair. The conventional, and even fair-trade, tea models are failing farmers. Equal Exchange (EE) is creating an alternative model that works FOR small farmers, rather than against them.
The traditional tea market favors large plantations and their wealthy owners, and puts workers in poverty, without agency and with little hope for their futures. At EE, “fair trade” means creating relationships with small farmers that reflects this alternative model. EE tea comes from democratically organized small farmer groups, not plantations or estates. EE works directly with farmer groups to pay them a fair price for their tea, offer affordable credit, and solve problems collaboratively.
The corruption that goes along with conventional growing leads to dangerous living and working conditions - poor access to sanitation, little safety equipment, often no clean drinking water. Plantations prioritize mass production, stripping the soil of nutrients, disrupting local ecosystems, and damaging the environment. Co-operative tea farmers decide democratically to prioritize worker safety and farm health, and invest in the community. They care for the environment through organic farming, combatting erosion, and restoring biodiversity.
EE pays tea farmers a price that reflects the real value of the tea, well above the inequitable market price. EE is committed to the success of the tea co-ops, investing in their farms and revitalization projects.
Most tea is sold at large auctions, leading to poor traceability and a disconnect between farmers and consumers. EE builds relationships with their partners by visiting them, working to understand their challenges, and achieving success together.
You can feel good about EE tea because you are helping an alternative supply chain that values farmers, their futures, and the environment.
