Did You Know?—October is Fair Trade Month!October 20, 2011

Filed under: Organic - greenacres @ 4:23 PM

One of our favorite Fair Trade Certified products in the store is the Traditional Medicinals line of teas.  Although a lack of certification does not imply that product was not made using laborers who are of age and paid a fair wage (as many of the brands at GreenAcres strive to do), the Fair Trade Certification process ensures that these standards are being met or exceeded.

Fair Trade Certification ensures that farmers of commodity crops (primarily tea, coffee and cocoa, but also certain herbs, spices, bananas and other types of produce) are paid living wages, work in a safe environment and produce exceptional products without any child labor.

Historically, farmers of these commodity crops have been exploited, often working in dangerous conditions for far below poverty wages. Meanwhile, exporters and intermediaries have been allowed to profit off these low wages and conditions. Not so with Fair Trade Certification.

Any product that carries the Fair Trade Certified™ label guarantees the following things:

• Fair Prices and Living Wages. Farmers and workers receive a fair price for their product and their labor. It means that farmers can support their families, and their children can go to school instead of working in the fields.
• Community Empowerment. Having reliable markets for their products and receiving living wages means that farming communities become stable. This stability allows them to develop community assistance programs such as medical care, help for college tuition, and other community-driven initiatives.
• Environmental Sustainability. Many Fair Trade Certified™ products are also certified organic. Environmentally sound practices preserve native environments by encouraging biodiversity, reducing pollutants in the environment, preserving habitat for wildlife, and helping to reduce global warming.
• Quality. Because farmers and producers receive a fair price and living wages, they can focus on creating quality products.
• Standards. The farm where the tea or herbs are grown meets specific standards for the wages, living situation, and working conditions of its pickers.
• Fair Trade Premium. For every tea purchase, a Fair Trade premium goes directly back to the tea workers themselves. A committee, elected by the workers, decides how these funds will be used to meet the community's most serious needs. Tea workers have used Fair Trade premiums to hire school teachers, build maternal health clinics, guarantee child care, develop pension funds and bring electricity to their villages, among other projects.

You can find Traditional Medicinals Fair Trade Certified teas in the following Varieties:

• Organic Chamomile
• Organic Chamomile with Lavender
• Organic Cran-Aid ®
• Organic Easy Now®
• Organic Golden Ginger
• Organic Golden Green Tea®
• Organic Green Tea with Ginger
• Organic Heartburn Soother®
• Organic Nighty Night®
• Organic Spearmint 
• Organic Weightless® Cranberry 
• "Just for Kids" Organic Cold Care
• "Just for Kids" Organic Tummy Comfort ®
• "Just for Kids" Organic Nighty Night ®
• Relaxation Herb Tea Sampler
   

We’re proud to carry this incredible line of products from a company that has proven integrity and is working toward social stability and prosperity in areas of the world that need it most.  Come check these awesome teas out today at GreenAcres!