Murchie's Tea & Coffee Ltd

Fairly Traded

Many of our customers ask us whether our coffees and teas are fairly traded. It's a good question! We all would want to make sure that those who produce the coffee and tea we so enjoy are adequately compensated for their labor.

But what exactly does "fairly traded" mean? One privately owned organization, Fair TradeMark Canada, has developed a set of four conditions that companies must meet to receive certification that their tea and coffee has been fairly traded. For coffee, these conditions include paying a minimum amount per pound, providing credit to farmers, purchasing from the same farmer for more than one crop cycle, and paying an additional premium that is meant to directly benefit the community. However, there is no 'condition' that the quality has to be the very highest, nor is 'anyone' stationed at the coffee garden to assure that the 'workers' are receiving even part of the 'additional premium'.

Murchie's philosophy is to purchase only the very best tea and coffee from producers who provide decent wages, schooling and medical facilities for workers and children.

We continue to purchase the finest quality teas and coffees from the suppliers, farms and gardens with whom we have developed long-standing relationships. It is our belief that in doing so we will provide sustainable employment to workers at the ground level as well as the surrounding communities.

Murchie's brews fairly traded coffee and teas every day at all our retail locations.