to think that this tea can't be fairtrade

[thisisyesterday]

when it costs 27p?

saw people talking on here about sainsburys basics teabags, so thought I'd try some. 80 teabags for 27p

they say it's fairtrade.

how can it be??? at that price?? someone has to be losing out somewhere along the line surely?
and I notice on the back it says
"producers supplying Fairtrade products receive a price that covers the cost of production"

wow! lucky them. so they break even. how is that "fair"?

I'm not sure exactly, but my sister works in a company which deals with different retailers and she said that quite often they will take a loss on certain things to get you into the shop. So you go in to try the basics teabags because you've heard how cheap they are, and since you are there you get the milk and sugar to go with it, and if you're getting those bits and you're already out of the house you might as well get dinner, and if you're getting dinner why not do a big shop... etc etc

YANBU to wonder, but I think it is highly probable that it IS fairtrade and the people losing out are actually Sainsbury's. Breaking even might not seem like much, but it's a much better deal than some producers get.

My sister's company don't work for Sainsbury's, so this might completely wrong, but that is how I have understood it.

hmmm maybe.
i was going to say i'm getting cynical in my old age, but actually i've always been this way

The whole point of the fairtrade movement sprung up from the fact that many producers don't get paid enough to cover the cost of production. What is paid to the producers is still a tiny percentage of the price you pay in the shops, even though it's often (not always) more than for most non-fairtrade deals.

Chances are that this is lower grade tea and that Sainsbury's profit margins on it are very small.

I would be more concerned about the fact that it cant possibly be a decent brew at that price.

you see i always thought fairtrade meant that they actually got a fair price. i don't think breaking even is fair at all even if it is more than they used to get.

in fact, i think it really sucks because people like me think we're doing something good and the supermarkets are still screwing poor people over.

i really hope sainsburys AREN'T making any profit on this... makes you realise how much they make on the other tea (and everyhting else)

well squeaky quite. I would never have bought it normally, but saw people on here saying what a lovely cuppa it makes.

actually I drink earl grey myself. I just bought this for DP

PastGrace is most likely right and they are a 'loss leader'. Who ever really went into a supermarket and bought just a box of tea bags, at that prie you would justify buying biscuits etc.
Did they taste ok?

Does it say Fair trade on the box. If it does then it is

will get dp to open them and do a taste test in a minute

I have that tea, dh didnt even notice we stopped having pg tips last christmas.

YANBU to be sceptical but if it says Fairtrade on the box then it will have to comply with the regulations - it's illegal to say something is when it isn't.

i know it's illegal... that's why i was wondering.

as i say, natural sceptic!

he says it's ok.

not his favourite, but definitely drinkable

Ok next week buy the regular tea and then when that is gone switch cheaper tea bags into the expensive box, I do this with aldi tea and no one has noticed but if I left the cheaper box on display they would complain and buy the expensive

I bought it, and made this same pondering statement on the original thread, or one of them . It is fine - drinkable.

I decided it must be a loss leader.

sadly he will notice because we're normally really poncy and have Clipper organic tea which comes in unbleached bags.

however, I will do a proper blind taste test on him tomorrow!

Tea is actually cheap - and its hugely marked up normally. It is possible to be that cheap if its low grade stuff especially. The certification is well checked.

Fairtrade is good, but there are misleading things about it, that a lot of people don't realise.

The fairtrade label is a little contentious as something can be fairtrade but the company producing it can be ethically bad elsewhere. It only certifies the product meeting certain minimum criteria - do to with healthcare, education, and liveable wage and only a certain percentage has to be fairtrade to get a certificate - not all of it.

You also have to pay extra for the fairtrade label.
That means your product CAN be fairtrade standard (OR BETTER) and not carry the label AND be cheaper in theory.

There are other ethical labels and groups out there that don't get the same prestige as FairTrade.

For example, the ethical trading initiative (ETI) is a group that seek to make sure their full process is ethical. Notable is Taylors of Harrogate - they don't carry fair trade labels on all their products but they do practice ethical buying practices throughout the company.

For more info:
www.ethicaltrade.org/

80 teabags for 27p

That isn't tea - that is sweepings from the floor.

we're normally really poncy and have Clipper organic tea which comes in unbleached bags.

how pretentious lovely!

I really like it, and I am a tea purist. It's my favourite discovery of 2011. I bore people senseless evangelising about it. I just checked the box - the Fairtrade branding is very prominent. Sainsburys would not put that if it wasn't Fairtrade.

It does also say it pays a small premium
to the local community as well as covering production costs.

You can take issue with Fairtrade but as Fairtrade tea
goes, Sainsburys Basics is awesome.

you need two bags in a mug to make it drinkable

just sayin'

...that said, Sainsbos get the thumbs up from this household- hods of fairtrade stuff compared with cunting Tesco