WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass., July 11 /PRNewswire/ — Seeking to catalyze changes in the tea industry, Equal Exchange announces today seven new premium, organic, Fair Trade Certified(TM) teas sourced from co-operatives of small- scale growers. The launch is part of Equal Exchange’s mission to combine quality and environmental sustainability with the greatest possible economic impact at the grassroots level.

Equal Exchange hopes to replicate the success they had promoting specialty coffee from small-farmer co-operatives in the 1980’s and 90’s. Currently both tea connoisseurs and traders are unaware of the role of small-scale farms and co-operatives in the tea industry.

Deepak Khandelwal, Equal Exchange Tea Product Manager, explains, “These farmers have long grown excellent tea, but until this point no one was paying attention, not even in the Fair Trade category. We hope they’ll now get the recognition they deserve along with greater bargaining power in the marketplace.”

To raise the profile of small-scale tea growers, Equal Exchange is launching these seven new teas:

LIMITED EDITION LOOSE LEAF - the nation’s only line of 100% small farmer tea

Organic Ceylon High Grown Black - From the Small Organic Farmers
Association (SOFA), Sri Lanka. (3 oz tin, SRP $10.49)

Organic Ceylon Green - Also from SOFA. (3 oz tin, $10.49)

Organic Darjeeling First Flush - From the Pashok Co-operative, Darjeeling,

India. (3.5 oz tin, $12.99)

Organic Darjeeling Second Flush - From the Pashok and Sanjukta Vikas Co-
operatives, Darjeeling, India. (3 oz tin, $13.59)

PREMIUM BAGGED TEAS
Organic Rooibos - A traditional herbal tea rich in antioxidants and
naturally caffeine-free. From the Wupperthal Co-operative, South Africa.

(box of 25 bags, SRP $4.25)

Organic Irish Breakfast - 50% to 75% of this tea is from the Sahyadri
Farmers Consortium, Kerala, India. (box of 25 bags, $4.00)

Organic Green Magic - From SOFA, Sri Lanka. (box of 25 bags, $4.00)

Equal Exchange, a pioneer and market leader in Fair Trade since 1986, offers a variety of high quality, organic tea, coffee, cocoa and chocolate. Major customers include Kroger, Shaw’s, Whole Foods (in some regions), Ten Thousand Villages, as well as hundreds of natural food stores and restaurants nationwide. 100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting 40 small farmer co-operatives around the world. Equal Exchange is a worker co- operative, owned and democratically controlled by its employees.