The poll is published on International Tea Day, and tea drinkers are already making their views known, having sent over 20,000 postcards to the five brands that dominate the market – PG Tips, Tetleys, Twinings, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea – calling for them to go Fairtrade.
The call is backed by the Women’s Institute and by Traidcraft, both of whom helped set up the Fairtrade Foundation, which awards the Fairtrade Mark.
An estimated 20 million people in the developing world rely on tea for their livelihoods and UK tea lovers understand the importance of giving tea producers a fair deal with 64% of tea buyers willing to pay more for Fairtrade tea.
The poll also revealed that Welsh tea drinkers top the survey with 25% of Welsh adults drinking five or more cups of tea per day, compared to only 11% of Scots.
The Network of Asian Producers, which includes tea producers in India and Sri Lanka, recently passed a resolution at their General Assembly in Chenai, recognising the unique benefits of Fairtrade: "While there are many labels in the market, Fairtrade is the only scheme which is producer owned, has a good track record on development and is best equipped to provide a better deal for producers via the assurance of a minimum guaranteed price and premium for our development."
Camilla Porter, Traidcraft head of campaigns, said: "The big tea brands are lagging behind popular consumer brands like Starbucks, Tate & Lyle, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk and Nestlé's KitKat, which have all made a commitment to Fairtrade.
"Right now there are 80 registered Fairtrade tea producers with spare Fairtrade tea to sell. PG Tips, Tetleys, Twinings, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea have 72% of the market. Their commitment to Fairtrade would make a lasting difference to the lives of millions of tea workers.
"The UK is truly a nation of tea lovers and the massive response by consumers calling for Fairtrade shows that they care about the people in the developing world who grow and pick the tea leaves to make our daily cuppas."
NFWI Chair Ruth Bond said, "As founder members of the Fairtrade Foundation, the WI has long campaigned for many of our household goods to be produced to the Fairtrade standard, which ensures that producers in the developing world get a fair deal.
"This campaign gives tea companies a great opportunity to build on any ethical commitments they already have and show consumers that they are truly committed to giving their tea producers a fair deal.
"Ordinary shoppers will really benefit from having a clearly recognisable standard on their favourite tea brand, which can help inform their choices when they do their weekly shopping."
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Notes to editors:
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Consumers can learn more at www.makeitfair.org.uk.
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UK consumers drink 165 million cups of tea every day, according to the UK Tea Council.
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Traidcraft Exchange is the UK's only development charity specialising in making trade work for the poor by helping them grow their businesses, find markets, and engage effectively in trade.
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Traidcraft has been working with small-scale tea growers in India and Africa for 30 years.
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Every year on 15th December tea producing countries across the world observe International Tea Day to draw the attention of governments and citizens to the impact of the tea trade on workers and small growers.
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The WI is the largest voluntary women’s organisation in the UK with more than 205,000 members in 6,500 WIs. It plays a unique role in enabling women to develop new skills, giving them opportunities to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities, and provides wide-ranging activities for members to get involved in. For further information please visit www.theWI.org.uk
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YouGov interviewed 2,040 people for the poll between 30 Oct - 2 Nov 2009. The survey was carried out online and all figures have been weighted to be representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
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For more information, contact Traidcraft: call Melissa Duncan on (+44) (0)7831 576103 or Camilla Porter on +44 (0) 207 400 4154.
