UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF SARASOTA, 3975 FRUITVILLE ROAD, SARASOTA FL 34232, TEL. 941-371-4974
  • Home
  • Visitors
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Virtual Guestbook
  • Sundays
    • Upcoming Services in Sarasota
    • Directions
    • Virtual Church 2023 >
      • Making of Virtual Church
    • Virtual Church 2022
    • Forum Archive
    • Potluck Sunday
    • Schedule of Musicians
    • Virtual Church 2021
    • Virtual Church 2020
    • Sermon Archive 2020
    • Sermon Archive 2019
    • Sermon blog 2019
    • Sermon Archive 2014-2018
    • Sermon Archive 2011-2013
    • Discovery and Discussion Archive
    • General Assembly 2021
    • General Assembly 2020
    • Annual Meeting
  • Our Church
    • Directions
    • Newsletter
    • We'll Carry On Together
    • Calendar
    • Minister and Staff
    • From the Heart of the Minister
    • Rev. Roger Fritts Minister Emeritus
    • Lakewood Ranch Congregation
    • Architecture
    • Archives - Church History
    • Art Gallery in Lexow Wing
    • Arts Council
    • Authors' Showcase
    • Board of Trustees
    • Breeze Directory >
      • Breeze Tutorials
    • Brief History
    • Church Documents
    • Community Ministers
    • Committees
    • From the Garden Gate
    • Giving
    • Korond Partner Church >
      • Korond Updates
      • The Village of Korond, Transylvania
      • Our Relationship with the Korond Congregation
      • The Ministers and Their Family
    • Members' Corner
    • Member Directory
    • Multimedia Guidelines
    • Scams
    • Thanksgiving Photos
    • UUs in the News
    • Valentines Luncheon
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Zoom
  • Children
    • Religious Education Overview >
      • Nursery
      • Elementary- Faithful Journeys
      • Youth Group- Riddles and Mysteries
    • RE News
    • RE Calendar
    • Photo Gallery >
      • Family Events
    • Meet our Staff and Teachers
  • Music
    • Music Program
    • Our Choir >
      • Videos for rehearsal
    • Love Stories of Our Musicians
    • Schedule of Musicians
    • Our hymns
    • Mindy Simmons
  • Social Justice
    • Welcome Justice Seekers
    • Building a Culture of Inclusion
    • UUSC - UU Service Committee >
      • Ukraine response
    • Racial Justice Program >
      • Racial Justice Events
      • Racial Justice Initiatives
      • Manasota Anti-Racism Coalition
      • RJ Glossary
      • RJ Resources
      • The 8th Principle
    • Remembrance Project
    • Activist Corner >
      • FedStateLocalContacts
      • Gun Control Activism
    • Community Partners
    • Fair Trade Program >
      • What is Fair Trade?
    • Justice in Action >
      • Get out the vote rally
    • Volunteer
  • Adult Programs
    • Bridge for Fun
    • Chair Yoga
    • ChaliceGroups >
      • Sample Session Outlines
    • Cinema Conversations
    • Death Cafe
    • Forum
    • Garden Crew
    • Great Decisions Group
    • LGBTQ
    • Men's Groups
    • Mindfulness-Based Human Flourishing
    • Tai Chi
    • Veterans Discussion Group
    • Women's Book Club
    • Women's Discussion Group
    • Zen Study Group
  • Contact
Tea That's Good for You and the People Who Grow It
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.​
​Members Corner
Weekly CONTACT Newsletter
Church Calendar
Upcoming Services
Religious Education for Children and Youth
Serendipity Auction
​Social Justice
Green Team Pages
Art Gallery in Lexow Wing
Our association: the UUA
Find other UU congregations
Copyright © 2022 All Rights Reserved. Links are encouraged. Contact Admin for permission to publish.
Contact info:
3975 Fruitville Road, Sarasota FL 34232
Tel. 941-371-4974
Office hours are 10am to 2pm Tuesday - Friday

Click here for more contact information...
Thank you to our many volunteers who contribute to this website.
Most have no prior web editing experience. Weebly makes this easy, which is why
​we recommend Weebly to non-profits dependent on volunteers. Read more at Introduction to Weebly...