Last Christmas, I received a lot of tea. This one really stood out; it is not only an eco-fair-trade product sold in a Nepalese purse - it gave me a new love for green tea (must be the lemongrass?). I decided to further research the story behind the product to share with you.
Kanchanjangha Tea (KTE) is grown in the hills below Mount Kanchanjangha in Nepal, and is the result of farmers forming a cooperative in the mid-1980s. The Chairman, farmer Deepak Prakash Bashkota, was key in organizing this initiative, and the products are now available in 13 countries. The fair-trade certified organic tea plantation provides jobs for locals, and the farmers are technically "owners," as KTE is a cooperative.
Here KTE provides a basic timeline that begins with planting and ends with brewing so that the consumer better understands the process. Wouldn't it be lovely if all companies did this?
The website also includes photos of their products (a variety of tea, spices, organic juices). There is an order form online, though the products are also distributed through a Canadian whole-saler.
I asked my mother where she purchased the tea: someone was selling it as a fundraiser. On the tea purse, there was a sticker that read "Eco Fair Trading Ltd." I did some further investigating (read: googling), and learned that this is the name of a wholesale company that imports eco-friendly products from abroad. On their site, they have downloadable pdf information catalogues for; retailers who want to sell Eco Fair Trading Ltd. products, consumers who want to find a store, and groups who wish to fundraise.
Even if you aren't a retailer, check out the wholesale catalogue to see other eco fair-trade products imported by the company. I definitely recommend the tea!
According to the website, the plantation is open to visitors (if you happen to be in the Himalayas).
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