Understanding Organic Tea and Free Trade

While people around the world love tea, people in the United Kingdom are known for loving their afternoon tea.  This ritual has been done for a long time but sadly, most of the people are in the dark when it comes to where and how the crops are grown.  For instance, developing worlds have large tea plantations of crops that are sprayed with pesticides and other harmful chemicals.  This means the tea leaves being used to make the afternoon tea is contaminated and that low paid workers handpicking the leaves are in harm’s way, as well.

Organic and Fair Trade

As more and more people become aware of the dangers from herbal tea being grown in this way, we see an increase in organic and fair trade tea, coffee, and even cocoa.  While the price of the tea is higher, considering the benefits in exchange, the money is well worth paying.

Reasons to Buy Organic

Organic tea is becoming increasingly popular because consumers know that growing processes are safe.  The farming practices associated with organic and fair trade tea and coffee means that no part of the plantation land can go through deforestation so the environment is also protected.

Then for fair trade tea, this provides consumers with more assurance that the plantations where tea plants are grown are being carefully supervised to ensure all terms and conditions of the fair trade agreement are being followed.  As a result, the tea is safe and the workers are not exposed to life threatening dangers.

More than ever before, both organic and fair trade tea and coffee are sold but again, the price is higher than conventional tea with fair trade tea being the highest.  An excellent brand is called Morrison’s, which comes highly recommended.  To save a little bit of money when buying fair trade, you might consider green tea bags or other tea variety in bags.

Organic Explained

When tea and coffee are grown organically, the process involves techniques that are environmentally-friendly.  Therefore, anything organic would be self-sustaining with no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or other toxins used.  Instead, the plantation’s natural resources are used to the fullest so you end up with healthy tea and no destruction to the planet.

Even the land on which tea and coffee is grown must be properly prepared.  This means the soil needs to contain the proper type and level of nutrients so no residual chemicals are left in the soil if crops were planted there before.  Because of this, an interim period is required, which is formally known as the “conversion period” and based on conditions, would be anywhere from three to five years.

Now, if the plantation were to pick leaves to make standard or special teas prior to the completion of the conversion period, some level of chemical will show up in the final product.  On the other hand, when the rules for conversion are followed, the result would be the best green tea, black tea, white tea, or oolong tea, as well as any other varieties being grown with infusion or flowers.

Controlling Disease and Insects

With organic tea and coffee, farming systems use nature’s equilibrium instead of chemicals.  This means introducing pest and insect’s natural enemies that can control the plantation.  With organic and fair trade tea, the selection is amazing and most provide excellent medicinal properties.  As an example, both peppermint and spearmint tea are known for calming an upset stomach while chamomile tea promotes relaxation.