Organic Tea -- Is It Worth It?

But how can you be sure the "organic tea" you buy is really organic? Organic beverages such as tea and coffee are also available and they are very popular. We can buy organic vegetables, fruits, and even "organically raised" meat. Organic produce is everywhere.
What's to stop an unscrupulous tea vendor from falsely labeling his tea "organic" simply to get a better price? Organic produce, tea included, is usually more expensive than non-organic brands.
What is Organic Tea?
Organic tea is grown without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers. The soil is enriched with natural compost and a layer of mulch retains the moisture while providing extra nutrients as it breaks down.
These competitions are held "blind" so that the judges can only use taste, aroma and color as the judging criteria. Tea competitions in China, Japan, and Taiwan have consistently chosen organic teas as the best teas of their class. This growing method is more labor-intensive but produces superior quality tea.
Scientific studies have shown that these compounds are found in higher concentrations in good quality tea. These are the antioxidants that provide many of the health benefits that tea is famous for. In addition to the improved flavor, organic tea is also higher in health promoting polyphenols and catechins.
This means that the farmer has less expense in replacing tea plants. Tea plants can live more than 100 years, and organic farming methods allow the tea plants to remain healthy for the duration of their lifespan. Organic tea is also better for the tea farmer.
Is it Really Organic?
Organizations like the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have certification programs that examine the growing practices of a particular tea plantation and issue certificates to those that meet their requirements. For one thing, there are several governmental and non-government agencies that certify products as being organic. When you pick up a package of tea that is labeled "organic" how can you be sure it's the real McCoy?
Packaged organic tea is required to meet the standards of the certifying agency, so look for tea which has the label of a recognized agency.
You are paying a premium for organic tea, so accept nothing short of the best. If it is not superb, it is probably not organic. Organic tea should titillate the taste buds with complex flavors and subtle delights. Above all, however, you should rely on your taste buds to tell you whether a tea is really organic.
Paul Dickson is a contributing writer to
Tea Genius.com
Information about the types of tea, tea production, tea growing, the health benefits of tea, and making and serving tea can be found at Tea Genius is a complete knowledge base of tea. .
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What is Organic and Fairtrade Tea and Coffee

Most of us dont realise that this tea is often grown on tea plantations in the developing world where the crops are sprayed with many chemicals and pesticides and the workers that pick the leaves are not only exposed to this danger but are often paid a pittance of a wage as well.
Organic and Fairtrade tea, coffee and cocoa are growing in popularity as people realise the benefits of spending those extra pennies per box and the payback in both health and human terms.
Why buy organic tea, coffee or cocoa?
I buy Morrisons own branded organic, fairtrade tea bags as its cheaper than the branded products such as clipper teas. You can now buy organic, Fairtrade tea which is not much more expensive then just organic tea. Some producers go down the Fairtrade route, which gives the consumer further altruistic benefit in terms of assurance that the workers on the tea or coffee plantations have been working under improved terms and conditions, giving them a better quality of life and reducing exploitation. Consumers usually decide to buy because production is carried out using sustainable farming practices, specifically not allowing deforestation to occur as part of plantation farming techniques.
What exactly is organic I hear you ask?
Tea or coffee qualifies as organic only when environment-friendly techniques are employed in its production. An organic unit should essentially be a self-sustaining one, designing the farm at the time of establishment of new organic tea or coffee plantation is crucial for optimum utilization of resources within the plantation itself.
These processing techniques are sufficient to make it highly unusual for any pesticides to be present in the end product. If plantation is taken up before conversion period is over, chemical residues may show up in the product. Based on the agro-ecological conditions, this period may vary from 3 to 5 years.

This requires an interim period - called the conversion period. In order to establish organic tea fields or coffee plantations, it is necessary to build up inherent nutrient levels and neutralise the chemical residues left in soils from past cultivation.
Insect pest and disease management
For example, peppermint tea aids indigestion and chamomile can soothe and relax you. Some of these have the added benefit of possessing medicinal properties. There are many varieties of organic herbal teas now available also. This includes using natural enemies of pests to keep their numbers in check.

Insect and disease management in organic farming systems rely on the inherent equilibrium in nature.
Find companies that sell organic tea in GuideMeGreen.com
Davinos Greeno works for the
organic
and
ethical
directory that lists 100s of Organic and Ethical Companies and we also have
Organic Articles
for you to read or publish.

Plant A Simple Tea Garden

Materials Needed
30 pellets) 3 packets of organic tea leaves seeds (YOUR CHOICE) Grow-rich or nutrient-rich potting soil 1 decorative clay or metal planter 1 package of clay pellets (approx.
(ASK YOUR NURSERY FOR THE BEST RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR AREA)
Directions
These will absorb water and promote healthy root development of the tea plants. Spread the clay pellets evenly along bottom of planter. 1.
Moisten potting soil in a large plastic bag and then spread mix over clay pellets in planter, leaving 1/2 inch at top of planter. 2.
Sprinkle seeds on soil, leaving about 2 or so inches between different varieties. 3.
Lightly cover the seeds with dry soil, and then moisten slightly with a spray bottle or a few drops of water. 4.
Label the varieties of tea on the bottom or side of planter, or create popsicle-stick signs to place in the soil. 5.
Move planter to a warm area with natural sunlight. 6.
When tea leaves reach a height of about two inches, thin out seedlings across the total planter surface to provide adequate space for future growth. 7.
Water periodically, only when the soil is moderately dry. 8.
DO NOT OVERWATER!!)
Sit back, sip and enjoy! Pick tea leaves sparingly and brew in a hot pot of water. 9.

It's All in the "Tea" Bag - How to Be Environmentally Responsible with Your Tea Bags

Have you ever thought about how much waste you are creating when you drink your afternoon tea? This is, of course, assuming that you use a tea bag. Granted, a tea bag is a small thing - in fact, in terms of waste, it seems like it should be the least of your worries. Better worry-time can be spent on the waste of your daily newspaper or on excess packaging of food.
The thing is, though, even the little things count. People often overlook the little things, like tea bags, but in the end, all of those tea bags really add up to a lot of waste! Sure, your newspaper is bigger, but you very likely recycle it, right? Can you "recycle" a tea bag? No, but you can use it in your garden.
Environmentally Friendly Tea Bag Tips:
The Republic of Tea makes environmentally-friendly · Check for tea bags that do not use wasteful strings or tags. · Look for unbleached tea bags. They will add acidity to your compost.

· Make sure that your tea bags are biodegradable. Even the tea bag envelopes that Choice Organic Tea is packaged in is environmentally friendly. They also use 100 percent unbleached cotton string. · Choice Organic Tea use unbleached manila hemp and unbleached wood pulp for their tea bags. The Republic of Tea makes environmentally-friendly unbleached tea bags without staples, tags, or strings.

· Check for tea bags that do not use wasteful strings or tags. · Look for unbleached tea bags. They will add acidity to your compost. The nutrients in the tea are good additions to your future fertilizer, and most regular tea bags are biodegradable.

· Look for tea bags without staples, or at least remove the staples before you place the bags in your compost bin? They will add acidity to your compost. The nutrients in the tea are good additions to your future fertilizer, and most regular tea bags are biodegradable. · Instead of tossing out old tea bags, why not put them in your compost bin?
In general, tea bags are much more wasteful than tea diffusers, but they do not have to be. The key is to give your used tea bags a second life in your garden. If you do not have a garden, never fear. There are many more uses for used tea bags that may interest you. Tea bags can do anything from tenderizing meat to stopping bleeding gums. They can be used to remove furniture polish, seed a lawn, treat shaving nicks, and more.
Again, though, the key to reducing waste starts with buying environmentally friendly tea bags in the first place. Then, add them to your compost or find another use for them.
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on tea and coffee, please visit
Tea and Coffee
.