Fairtrade in tea farmer plea

FAIRTRADE is warning of an “important window of opportunity” to drive systemic change for farmers producing tea for British consumers.

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The organisation is urging the Government, businesses, retailers and tea drinkers to take action that ensures fairer pay and working conditions for farmers across the world as part of a major campaign launched on Wednesday.

Scaling up Fairtrade impact across the tea sector has been a particularly difficult and longstanding challenge compared to some of the other certified commodities, such as bananas or cocoa.

Working conditions can be tough, exacerbated by climate impacts and poverty, while global supply has often outstripped demand, causing tea prices to drop lower than the cost of production.

Moreover, around a fifth of Fairtrade’s certified producers globally work in tea, which means sales are split across a large number of producers.

Even though 100% of their product is eligible, they only sell on average 4% of the tea they produce on Fairtrade terms - volumes Fairtrade is now pushing to grow.

A global trend towards legislation that ensures businesses act responsibly provides a key opportunity for meaningful change, the organisation said.

It also argued that the UK’s significant history, market and consumption of tea means it is uniquely positioned to tackle the systemic inequality seen across the tea sector.