With so many companies, websites, and products in this massive modern world, how do you know where to start when looking for tea. I'm talking good quality loose leaf tea. Organic Fair Trade Tea is out there. And it can be wonderful.
What To Look For
From the first time he brought his strange brew of leaf and water to his lips around 2700 BC, Chinese Emperor Chen Nung couldn't imagine how he'd change the world. But change it he did when a leaf of the shrub Camellia sinensis accidentally fell into his boiling water, creating the world's first cup of tea. Next to water, tea has become the most popular beverage in the world--a symbol of not only friendship and hospitality, but also health, thanks to the resurgence of green tea. Each day, drinkers from England to Turkey consume more than 1.5 billion cups. But while tea brings much enjoyment, many tea drinkers are unaware of the often dark side effects that tea production can create for both workers and the environment.
So what should you look for to ensure you're getting the best, most eco-friendly cuppa?
Certified Fair Trade
Like coffee, "Fair Trade" teas are surging in popularity--in the U.S. alone, the amount of tea certified under the international Fairtrade Labeling Organizations (FLO) standards more than doubled from 2001 to 2002. There are now 22 fair trade plantations in India, along with smaller numbers in Sri Lanka, Africa, and China. Fair Trade certification guarantees that tea buyers pay fixed premium payments directly to organized workers and small farmers, regardless of tea prices, to spend as they wish. In India, plantation workers use funds for items such as pension plans, schools, electricity, medical care, even environmental restoration. Through guidelines and on-the-ground monitoring, Fair Trade certification also restricts the use of child labor, maintains the rights of workers to organize, requires education and protection of workers handling pesticides, and encourages more sustainable environmental practices.
Certified Organic
Certified organic teas under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program standards are also widely available from estates in India, Sri Lanka and other parts of Asia. Like other certified organic products, organic teas must be grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, minimizing both toxic exposures to the environment and human health concerns. Organic teas can also encourage biodiversity, as other plants grown next to organic tea to provide nutrients may also offer better wildlife habitat. (courtesy of www.thegreenguide.com)
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