Just Ice Tea’s trip to Origin: The Impact of Fair Trade Sourcing
Just Ice Tea – Eat the Change co-founders, Seth Goldman and Chef Spike Mendelsohn, visited one of their newest organic, Fair Trade tea suppliers in Mozambique. The tea garden is the largest and one of the most remote in the world. There are no pollution sources within hundreds of miles, making it one of the most pristine places. This is especially important because of the garden’s organic certification, which requires the use of sustainable growing methods such as composting from cow dung and worm farms. Seth and Spike were also equally impressed with the impact Fair Trade premiums have on the community. The Fair Trade workers council votes on how the premiums are spent. So far, they have used the premiums to purchase an ambulance, and a bathroom and new roof for the school.