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.

Teatime in Thailand - A Visit to the Tea Plantations of Mae Salong

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During my visit to Thailand in November 2004, I traveled through the scenic Yunnanese village of
Mae Salong
, located in the mountains of the
Golden Triangle
Strolling around the small town, you'll find the Chinese influence very strong with most of the shops and many of the homes decorated with Chinese ornamentation and with many of the homes decorated with Chinese ornamentation and with many of the homes decorated with Chinese ornamentation and with many of the inhabitants speaking Mandarin. Many of the villagers trace their ancestry to members of Chinese Nationalist party who fled China, resettling in nothern Thailand during the communist takeover in late 1940's. Mae Salong is a very unique and important place, not only because of its historical origins but also as the one of the most important tea growing regions in Thailand. .
Tea is king here
; the surrounding countryside is covered by a green carpet of tea, as far as the eye can see. Small tea tasting rooms are scattered throughout the small village of
Mae Salong
selling so many different grades of tea including green oolong, which seems to be the crème de la crème of the tea world. The largest tea plantations are located just outside of town and are well worth a visit. Ms. Ming, the gracious owner of
Mae Salong Villa
(the hotel where I stayed)
It seems that the Mae Salong Chinese community has maintained very close ties with Taiwan, which remained a stronghold of the Chinese nationalist party after the Communists took over mainland China. explained to me about the origins of the tea industry and about the different grades of tea leaves sold commercially.
The tea industry got a kick-start when some choice tea plants were carried over from Taiwan and planted in the hills of Mae Salong. Ming's husband owns one the major tea plantations in the area but as Ms. Ming explained to me, there is more money to be made in the tourism business these days as the tea business is very labor intensive and the profit margins are small.
Bus Goldberg is a seasoned world traveler and the director of
Calypso Island Tours
He also maintains his own travel blog, , a travel company that specializes in botanical adventures and nature tours to such diverse destinations as Costa Rica, Thailand and the Caribbean.
Calypso Island Chronicles