Hong Xingcan, 61, a worker at the Wucun Organic Tea Processing Plant drives a barge across a river, the main transport vehicle for tea to reach the road head on the opposite shore. The barge was bought with Fair Trade premiums, replacing thin bamboo rafts that were dangerous and unstable. "Fair Trade has improved my work conditions significantly at the tea processing plant and out here on the river," says Mr. Hong. "Before, crossing the river with a heavy load of baskets of tea had significant risks - people drowned! - but with this barge, transportation is stable and comfortable -- and we can move more tea per trip!"

Wucun tea garden, Dazhangshan, Jiangxi, China.