The Benefits of Buying Tea from Independent Tea Growers
Small Farmers, Big Benefits
By Sebastian Beckwith
We
like small-farm teas, not only because we want to support
the small farmer, but because their teas often taste better.
Large estate-grown teas are blends of machine-processed
teas with a wide range of quality. Tea is only as good as
its weakest component. When modern technology is introduced,
it generally serves only to increase efficiency at the expense
of quality. Small-farm teas are hand-grown and crafted with
great care and pride. Farmers prepare diligently for annual
tea competitions. They put their hearts and centuries of
tradition into their teas. Techniques developed by their
ancestors are still in use today.
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In
certain areas of the world, economic pressures are intense
for small tea farmers. Many are lured by dreams of riches
to the cities. The collectives who pay the farmers are usually
more concerned with low prices than high quality. Recently,
in some areas of China, farmers have simply left their tea
to wilt on the bush. They cannot afford the effort and expense
of processing, only to sell for low prices. When you purchase
tea from companies like In
Pursuit of Tea, you are helping to support threatened
farming traditions.
Organic
farming is most successful on a small scale. Small farmers
are more likely to be using organic and chemical-free techniques
to grow and process their teas. Pesticides, fertilizers
or mechanical cutting are expensive. Individual farmers
have the incentive to use things already on their farms
and thus practice age-old sustainable growing techniques.
The alternative to small estate-grown teas are chemically
grown, mechanically harvested and processed, uniform teas
of low quality. They hold no interest for the connoisseur.
There's little adventure in a cup of bagged tea, blended
for consistency. Cultural history and geography are lost;
all mystery evaporates with them.
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Help
support these agricultural artisans and allow them to continue
their wonderful craft. When you buy artisan teas, you provide
its makers with good prices for their products, allowing
them to stay on the farm and keep their traditions alive.
In addition, some tea providers such as In Pursuit of Tea
will donate a portion of their profits to organizations
that promote sustainable and organic production techniques.
Copyright
© 2005, In
Pursuit of Tea
Exploring Remote Regions to Supply the Finest Teas. All
rights reserved.
Photos courtesy of Sebastian Beckwith
DEFINING
TERMS: ORGANIC
"Organic" as defined by the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) is any food that fits the following
criteria: 1) No use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers,
antibiotics or added hormones allowed; 2) The products may
not use ionizing radiation or bioengineering (i.e., genetically
modifying their plants); 3) Products, whether plant foods
or animal-based foods, must be inspected by a USDA-certified
agency to confirm compliance with the strict guidelines
(even the restaurants and stores that handle organic foods
must be certified). Additional qualifications for organically-raised
animals are no use of animal by-products as feed, that the
animals must be allowed significant access to the outdoors
and that their history is traceable in addition to no use
of antibiotics or added growth hormones.
How
to Get Involved |
Learn
more about how you can help the small farmer through
buying fair trade products. Because of fluctuating
market prices and corruption, small farmers sometimes
are not able to make enough to cover the costs of
raising their crops let alone supporting themselves
and their families. Fair trade allows consumers to
buy directly from small farmers thus ensuring that
the money goes directly to these producers. Products
include coffee, tea and chocolate and can be purchased
in many well-known stores such as Starbucks, Target
and CostPlus World Market. To find out more, visit
any of the following websites:
Make
Trade Fair, www.maketradefair.com
The Fairtrade Foundation, www.fairtrade.org.uk
The International Fair Trade Association, www.ifat.org
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