Tea News and Biz Insights - October 29, 2021

HEAR THE HEADLINES – Fairtrade International Predicts Growers Climate-Related Financial Disaster | Chemical Fertilizer Supplies Disrupted | Holiday Helpers Are in Short Supply| NEWSMAKER – Will Battle, author, consultant, and enthusiast for all things tea. Will trained as a taster in India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Malawi and has 20 years of experience sourcing tea. He is the author of “The World Tea Encyclopaedia” and managing director of Fine Tea Merchants, Ltd., in Lincoln, England. | FEATURES – This week Tea Biz travels to Lincoln, England for a visit with Will Battle, author of “The World Tea Encyclopaedia” and managing director of Fine Tea Merchants, Ltd., a wholesale tea import and export venture that supplies tea merchants with mainstream offerings as well as rare teas and herbals.The Unique Cost of Producing Specialty TeaConsumers who pay a premium at retail for specialty tea often leave growers to foot the bill. The costs of producing the distinctive taste of the authentic, transparent, eco-friendly, clean-label formulations that are so popular with Millennial and Gen Z cohorts are significantly higher than what growers spend supplying conventional tea. A preference for chemical-free cultivation, third-party certifications, energy-efficient, carbon-neutral processing and transport, and recyclable and biodegradable packaging further erode margins along the length of the supply chain. This raises a fundamental question: Is anyone making money making specialty tea?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy