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International Tea Day: Consumers demand a fair cuppa
We drink 165 million cups of tea a day in Britain. And 66% of UK tea consumers either buy Fairtrade or would be in favour of their preferred tea brand converting to Fairtrade, according to a poll commissioned by international development charity Traidcraft Exchange.
The poll is published on International Tea Day (December 15), and tea drinkers are already making their views known, having sent more than 20,000 postcards to the five brands that dominate the market – PG Tips, Tetleys, Twinings, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea – calling for them to go Fairtrade.
The call is backed by the Women’s Institute and by Traidcraft, both of whom helped set up the Fairtrade Foundation, which awards the Fairtrade Mark.
An estimated 20 million people in the developing world rely on tea for their livelihoods and UK tea lovers understand the importance of giving tea producers a fair deal with 64% of tea buyers willing to pay more for Fairtrade tea.
The Network of Asian Producers, which includes tea producers in India and Sri Lanka, says: “While there are many labels in the market, Fairtrade is the only scheme which is producer owned, has a good track record on development and is best equipped to provide a better deal for producers via the assurance of a minimum guaranteed price and premium for our development.”
Camilla Porter, Traidcraft head of campaigns, said: “The big tea brands are lagging behind popular consumer brands like Starbucks, Tate & Lyle, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk and Nestlé’s KitKat, which have all made a commitment to Fairtrade.
“Right now there are 80 registered Fairtrade tea producers with spare Fairtrade tea to sell. PG Tips, Tetleys, Twinings, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea have 72% of the market. Their commitment to Fairtrade would make a lasting difference to the lives of millions of tea workers.
“The UK is truly a nation of tea lovers and the massive response by consumers calling for Fairtrade shows that they care about the people in the developing world who grow and pick the tea leaves to make our daily cuppas.”
NFWI Chair Ruth Bond said “As founder members of the Fairtrade Foundation, the WI has long campaigned for many of our household goods to be produced to the Fairtrade standard, which ensures that producers in the developing world get a fair deal.
“This campaign gives tea companies a great opportunity to build on any ethical commitments they already have and show consumers that they are truly committed to giving their tea producers a fair deal.
“Ordinary shoppers will really benefit from having a clearly recognisable standard on their favourite tea brand, which can help inform their choices when they do their weekly shopping.”
The poll also revealed that the Welsh are the nation’s top tea drinkers: 25% of Welsh adults drink five or more cups of tea per day compared to only 11% of Scots.
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October 2009
Indulge in Chocolate Week with Fairtrade
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The sixth year of Chocolate Week, 12-18 October, is upon us. The UK population consumes £37.5m worth of Fairtrade chocolate per year. This amounts to a staggering 3m kilos of Fairtrade chocolate at an average of 500g per person per year. The popularity of Fairtrade chocolate has risen year on year by 6% and in quarter one of this year we have seen a 5% rise like for like from 2008.
One of the first Fairtrade chocolate products to go on shelf was Green and Black’s Maya Gold chocolate bar 15 years ago, Divine milk chocolate followed shortly after along with other major chocolate brands. There is a plethora of Fairtrade chocolate products, a total of 480, out there from delicious speciality hand made truffles to chocolate bars, advent calendars and much more.
Indulge yourself or treat loved ones to Divine Chocolate’s white chocolate and strawberry truffles, Traidcraft’s chocolate gift pack or Oxfam’s Grand Marnier truffles gift box to list but three of the many Fairtrade chocolate gift packs available. Tuck yourself in at night with Cafédirect’s award winning drinking chocolate from San Cristobal in the Dominican Republic. Or maybe you would rather create your own beautiful chocolate desserts? Visit our recipe page at www.fairtrade.org.uk/products/recipes.aspx or Divine’s at www.divinechocolate.com/recipes/desserts.aspx and cook up a storm in the kitchen with top tips from their professional chocolatiers.
When you do enjoy Fairtrade chocolate this Chocolate Week, the chances are some of the cocoa will have been lovingly grown in Ghana by the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative. First certified in 1995, Kuapa Kokoo has nearly 50,000 members, one in three of which are women, tending family farms about the size of about six football pitches. The Fairtrade premium they earn has been invested in many different community projects such as building wells for drinking water, public toilets, and a mobile clinic to visit member’s villages. They’ve also invested in training in leadership and management and set up some other ways for women especially to earn more money, making soap and palm oil, milling corn and farming snails.
Comfort Kwaasibea, one of the many cocoa farmers says: ‘Fairtrade is a good thing. Things you take for granted may be hard to come by in Ghana. Fairtrade is good to the farmer and makes us happy. We would like to sell more cocoa to Fairtrade so more farmers can taste a better life.’
An estimated 14 million people in the developing world depend on cocoa production for their livelihoods in 30 different countries.
Show your support for Kuapa Kokoo and other Fairtrade certified cocoa farming co-operatives in the developing world by taking part in Chocolate Week this year. There are loads of exciting and fun activities going on through the week - try some of Divines delicious offerings at Liberty chocolate shop, or head over to Harrods where some of the world’s top chocolatiers will be hosting tastings and other events, visit the website at www.chocolate-week.co.uk
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Are you registered as a Fairtrade Church?
Many United Reformed Churches and Local Ecumenical Partnerships originally received their certificates from the Commitment for Life office. Last year we wrote to every Fairtrade Church, of which we were aware, asking them to register with the Fairtrade Foundation. A great number of you have done this, so thank you. However, here are still those whose names do not appear on the Fairtrade Foundation's database. It would be great if you could speak to us to check whether you are on there or not. Alternatively ring the Fairtrade Foundation + 44 (0)20 7405 5942 to check. If you are receiving mail from the FTF you are most likely registered.
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