
Unpacking the True Cost of Tea: A Call for Fair Practices in the UK's Beloved Brew
London, UK – A recent video campaign by fair fashion advocate Venetia La Manna sheds light on the pressing human rights and environmental challenges within the global tea industry, urging the UK government to implement systemic changes. The campaign emphasizes that while tea is a beloved national drink in the UK, its production often relies on exploitative labor practices rooted in colonial history. According to the campaign, the average teabag sold in the UK costs as little as two pence, yet the workers who cultivate and harvest the tea, particularly in countries like Kenya, often do not earn a living wage. Fairtrade reports indicate that only one in five farmers and workers earn enough to support their families, and many women tea pickers have faced or witnessed abuse. Furthermore, tea companies continue to profit from lands historically and violently seized from indigenous communities. Beyond human rights, the video highlights the severe impact of climate change on tea-growing regions. Projections suggest that by 2050, rising temperatures could render a quarter of Kenya's tea lands too hot for cultivation, threatening livelihoods and global tea supply. The campaign champions Fairtrade certification as a crucial step for safeguarding workers' rights but stresses that deeper systemic change is required. It calls on the UK government to "Brew It Fair" by supporting higher pay for tea workers and enacting more robust human rights legislation for businesses, alongside restoring aid budgets and climate funding. Viewers are encouraged to sign the Fairtrade Foundation petition to advocate for these changes.