Recently Greenpeace carried out a study that shows the average cup of non-organic tea contains a cocktail of over 10 different pesticides. This is an issue that is very close to our hearts here at Hampstead Tea, so we want to show our support too.

Here are 5 reasons why you should only ever drink organic tea.

1) The majority of pesiticides found in tea are ILLEGAL.

68% of the pesticides found in tea are illegal pesticides that are not even registered for use in the cultivation of tea in India. 67% of the tea that was sampled contains DDT, which is a pesticide that has been banned since 1989.

The reality is that the tea industry in India is severely under-regulated. It’s time tea companies such as Twinings and Tata were named and shamed. Greenpeace, we salute you!

2) Pesticide levels are waaaaay above the legally safe limits.

We’re not talking about a little bit of pesticide here. We’re talking about a LOT. Most of the samples that were tested were well above the safe limits set by the EU. And 37% of the samples were 50% above what they should have been.

3) It’s unsafe for the people who work on tea plantations

Nothing has been proven yet (and we don’t want to get taken to court) but here’s some anecdotal evidence cited by Greenpeace:

interviews with 426 pesticide sprayers conducted by staff at the National Labour Institute, suggests that workers experience many forms of ailments and physical discomforts, primarily muscle and body aches (57%), feelings of weakness (49%), headaches (32%), chest pains (23%), respiratory problems (16%) and eye irritations (15%).

Something tells me that 426 people aren’t just making it up…

4) Cancer is just one possible side-effect.

We’re not trying to scare-monger here, but the truth is that no-one has any idea what the long term effects of pesticides in tea are. According to a UN report, long term exposure to the cocktail of pesticides found in tea is likely to impact on our ability to reproduce, and some of the pesticides used in the production of tea may also have “developmental effects” on children.

5) If the bees go so do we.

The majority of scientists agree that bees are essential to the survival of humans, but it’s not just bees that pesticides are killing. Roughly 1,800 different species make their habitat on the common tea plant, most of them are tiny little species like nematodes. The use of banned chemicals in exterminating these species is unnecessary and unacceptable.

As a result of a Greenpeace demonstration 2 companies have already come forward to clean up our tea. But let’s not kid ourselves, even if more regulation is introduced that won’t stop companies using pesticides in the production of tea. I don’t want to sound like a hippie here but the only way to be safe is to drink organic tea.

Please join Hampstead Tea and support the organic tea movement. It’s down to consumers to show companies like Twinings that we deserve better.

We’re committed to bringing you the best organic teas from all around the world – explore our range to find out more