Cross Party Group on Fair Trade – May 2025

Fairtrade and Women in Supply Chains: Key Takeaways from the May Cross Party Group Meeting

Tea is one of the UK’s most-loved drinks, but behind every brew lies a story of injustice.

That was the message from May’s Cross-Party Group on Fair Trade, where MSPs, campaigners and Fair Trade advocates came together to hear the latest from the Fairtrade Foundation and Oxfam GB. With International Tea Day just around the corner (21 May), it was the perfect time to reflect on what really goes into our daily cup of tea, and how we can push for a fairer future.

The Fairtrade Foundation’s ‘Brew It Fair’ Campaign

Marie Rumsby, Director of Communications and Advocacy at the Fairtrade Foundation, shared an early preview of their new campaign ‘Brew It Fair’. The campaign lays bare the serious challenges facing tea producers today: poverty wages and insecure incomes; unsafe, discriminatory working conditions; and a climate crisis that’s rapidly shrinking suitable land for tea farming.

Tea is big business, but those who grow and pick it – especially women – see just a fraction of the profits. Climate change is having a huge impact. In Kenya, for example, prime tea-growing areas could shrink by over 25% by 2050 due to climate change.

The Fairtrade Foundation is calling on the UK Government to act.

Their asks are clear:

pass Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence legislation

convene a roundtable on pricing and purchasing practices

restore the UK’s aid budget and deliver on climate finance promises

The message to MSPs? Use your voice. Table questions. Back motions. Speak up for tea workers, and use Fairtrade Fortnight this September to connect with constituents on the issue.

Oxfam GB: Women Workers in Global Supply Chains

Echoing and expanding on these themes, Leena Patel, Senior Programmes Advisor at Oxfam GB, presented findings from a new report focused on women in global supply chains, from tea plantations in Kericho, Kenya, to garment factories in Leicester.

What’s clear is that systemic exploitation isn’t limited to one sector. Across the board, exploitative purchasing practices, like informal contracts, price manipulation and delayed payments, are pushing women into precarious, low-paid and sometimes dangerous work. And when abuse happens many have no access to grievance mechanisms or union representation.

Leena’s report highlights how many corporate sustainability schemes fall short. They’re often expensive to implement, exclude small producers, and rely on voluntary uptake. Add in weakened public services driven by corporate tax avoidance and it’s easy to see why deep inequality persists.

Oxfam’s call to action is:

ensure gender-responsive due diligence legislation

include enforceable gender analysis in trade deals

tackle tax avoidance and strengthen public infrastructure in producer countries

Both Marie and Leena agreed: we must centre producers, especially women, in all future trade policy and make ethical sourcing the default, not the exception.

What Can Scottish Campaigners do?

As a Fair Trade Nation, Scotland can lead by example. That means:

Asking MSPs to back the Brew It Fair campaign through motions, petitions and questions

Consumers choosing Fairtrade tea and calling on retailers to stock more

Campaigners making noise – online, locally, and during Fairtrade Fortnight

The global tea trade reflects wider injustices: colonial legacies, climate impacts, and gender inequality. But we also heard hope, from success stories in South India where Fairtrade premiums have built schools and clean water systems, to Sainsbury’s recent expansion of Fairtrade tea in the UK market.

There’s more to do, but the new Fairtrade Foundation campaign is a step towards every cup of tea supporting dignity, fairness and sustainability for the people behind the product.

Related Links

Fairtrade Foundation’s Brew it Fair Campaign: Do it Fair: Campaigning for Change in the Tea Industry