Tea-conomics

I've just bought 80 fairtrade teabags for 28p - Sainsbury's Basics range. So, how does that work then? If you can sell fairtrade tea for 28p - including the cost of processing, packaging, shipping etc. - just how much does the grower get for fairtrade tea? It doesn't seem like nearly enough. Do all fairtrade brands pay their growers the same, or is some fairtrade fairer than others? And if they all pay the same, how do some brands justify charging 10 times as much or even more?

Fairtrade Fortnight The Big Swap

Today sees the start of Fairtrade Fortnight and this year the theme is The Big Swap. People are encouraged to switch to fair trade products and register their swap on the website, to count towards the target of one million and one swaps during the campaign. The website contains useful information on how fair trade products benefit those involved in their production and suggests categories of product where the switch can be made, from coffee to cosmetics.