Fair Trade Tea

Happy October Fellow Art of Tea Drinkers! Join us on a journey of knowledge and appreciation this month as we raise our tea cups in honor of Fair Trade month! As I write this newsletter, I am enjoying a nice cup of our yummy Egyptian Chamomile tisane, which just so happens to be one of our featured fair trade teas this month…exciting! As I gently sip my hot cup of chamomile flavored goodness, it has me wondering about how many of us have actually stopped to think about where the tea we drink actually comes from and how that impacts our society and the world we live in.

Here are just a few reasons why fair trade practices are so important to Art of Tea. Fair trade practices help producers in under-developed countries have greater opportunities to acquire the resources they need to improve their livelihood. Sustainable development protects against land loss by promoting environmentally friendly processes which in turn creates a healthy working environment for producers. Fair trade practices also promote fair wages for workers, gender equality and fights against child labor. Pretty cool huh?

So the next time you reach for your cup of tea, take comfort in the fact that Art of Tea is on a determined path to make sure that each one of their ingredients will someday be sourced solely from sustainable fair trade practices.

Art of Tea Core Value #5: We are committed to continuous improvement and innovation.

We take a look at Art of Tea’s relationship with the manufacturer of their iced tea equipment, Wilbur Curtis, a leader in the commercial foodservice beverage equipment industry for over 60 years.

Oh Yes…

Even the environmentally friendly fork is compostable and is made out of potato starch!

In 2008 Professor Lizette Joubert of the Agricultural Research Council and Professor Wentzel Gelderblom of the Medical Research Council, along with two more collaborators published an overview of existing knowledge about the history, cultivation, traditional uses, composition and biological activity of Rooibos and other South African herbal teas.

Here, in a nutshell are the top 10 reasons to enjoy a cup of Organic Fair Trade Rooibos, sans scientific jargon (well, maybe just a little jargon, it helps us sound credible):

1. Rooibos (or Aspalathus linearis) contains a complex mix of many flavonoids, which, contrary to the sound of their name, are not an intergalactic race of alien beings from Star Trek episode 39. These compounds widely found in plants are known to have anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and antiallergenic effects.

2. Aspalathin, one of the major flavonoids, is often the most active antioxidant in Rooibos, helping scavenge free radicals and protect cells and lipids (fats) against oxidative damage. Of course you could always read a Weight Loss and Happiness Book.

3. Rooibos also contains the rare flavonoid glucoside nothofagin. 10 points and a digital gold star to the one who can research the amazing health properties behind that one.

4. Rooibos does not contain caffeine, which means you get to enjoy your cup of anti-bacterial/viral/tumor/inflammatory/allergy tea without getting the jitters.

5. The major flavonoids in Rooibos demonstrate anti-mutagenic properties that help prevent or slow down cancer. In some studies green (unfermented) Rooibos is a more potent antimutagenic agent, while other studies found that fermented Rooibos has a higher antimutagenic effect.

6. The antioxidants in Rooibos protect the liver against oxidative stress and could have value for liver patients.

7. Studies on Japanese quails have shown that Rooibos protects blood cells and exhibits anti-ageing properties that slow down brain degeneration and prolong fertility – if it works for quails….

8. The bronchodilatory, antispasmodic, and blood pressure lowering effects of Rooibos, and its potential to stimulate the immune system, has been shown in some studies, but needs to be further explored – we’ll do our best to keep you updated on that one.

9. Put your tube of Goldbond on the back burner and brew a cup of Rooibos instead – human studies have shown that taking Rooibos is an effective way to treat several skin conditions. It decreased the incidence of herpes simplex within a few days, helped for itching associated with dermatitis, and reduced skin inflammation and sun sensitivity.

10. Honestly, it’s just fun to say.

It’s Maria, here. I’m excited to tell you about my time with Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea!
Art of Tea was able to support the Long Beach Library Foundation and Greg’s Central Asia Institute at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center for the Long Beach Reads One Book event. We also served tea at a luncheon at the delicious Fresh Foods Cafe on Golden Shores.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time is a riveting story about how Greg’s goal to climb Pakistan’s mountain K2 ultimately led him to a small village in Pakistan. He needed care, and the people of this village healed his body and his heart. After seeing the local children playing and drawing in the dirt with no school to go to, Greg set his mind to build a school for the village, named Korphe. As of last year, Mortenson has established over 78 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide education for over 28,000 children, including 18,000 girls, where few education opportunities existed before.

To learn more about Greg and his New York Times #1 best seller, please visit: http://www.threecupsoftea.com/

—————————————————————————————
Maria Warman is an independent contractor representing Art of Tea. You may also find her working hard building homes and volunteering on preservation projects from Brazil to Ethiopia.

How to Store Your Tea

How to Decaffeinate Your Tea

Art of Tea recently participated in an event to promote the movie FUEL, which has been lauded as “Dynamic and persuasive…a must see, and not just for environmentalists,” by Tom Keogh of the Seattle Times.  The evening, which revolved around all things green, included green carpet arrivals followed by the unveiling of a big green energy bus. Art of Tea was lucky enough to serve up its organic libations with a zojirushi water dispenser fueled by a vegetable oil powered generator. The evening was chilly and our dessert teas helped warm the participants while they enjoyed the movie’s premier, which was shown on a blown up movie screen, also powered by vegi oil. The screening was held at a Conserve Fuel Gas Station, L.A.’s only renewable fuel station. It was an honor to support the film while fueling people with good tea and being a part of this fantastic movement.  We can only hope that this is the beginning of the remarkable things to come in the world of sustainable energy.

Working on goal setting with our team is always invigorating and motivating for me. The first five minutes of our group meetings are usually a bit sluggish but after everyone warms up we generate ideas that are shared and passed around the room in a proactive dialogue.  Our group voices concerns and new concepts regarding organic teas, the direction of organic beverages, and organic botanicals.
In these meetings it becomes clear that there are specific issues regarding organic teas that need to be solved on a company level as well as on a global level.  How can we make an impact with loose-leaf tea and organic bagged teas? Do our customers feel a difference if they are making an impression on a Tea Growers life? How can we measure a sustainable tea projects success?
The problem, of course, is turning a question into an answer. It’s easy to state a goal but to create movement, change, and results one must follow through with action like incorporating a new tea to a line or choosing between an organic tea or non-organic tea. When Art of Tea was born we took a look at the whole picture.  If we feel that a product won’t create a remarkable lasting impression it doesn’t leave the warehouse. Roughly 10% of the new blends we create make it to our list each year, if it doesn’t hold up in our blending facility than it won’t go out to our dedicated customers. We test out new teas and we are truly grateful for the honest and open feedback our loyal customers provide us based on the samples they receive in their orders. Through your thoughts and comments we continue to grow and fulfill our company goals and meet our customers demands to add more organics to the list. We experience a full sensory experience based on solid ethics and quality care.
We made a clear choice that our core product line would be organic and we intend to continue to grow as we plug on through the continuous certification process. We create our organic teas and organic herbal blends based on taste, quality, organic origins, and overall benefits…a tea or tisane (herbal) that you can go back to time and again.