In my opinion, fair trade is a cleverly crafted marketing ploy designed to monopolize certain commodities and markets.  Fair trade items makes more profits and have better margins. Darjeeling Tea is no exception. The fair-trade markets opened up for Darjeeling Tea since the beginning of the millennium.

There are many fair-trade organizations selling Darjeeling Tea like Twin trading USA, Equal Exchange Trading, Clipper teas, Choice organic teas, Oxfam, Alter Eco, Artisans du monde etc.
But, I must say that the workers of Darjeeling Tea estates using fair-trade labels deserve more.
I am not trying to make a point that the fair trading partners from Darjeeling and their counter parts from the developed countries are exploiting the workers (as they are exploited anyways), but needed to inform my readers about the level of transparency of the beautifully drawn agendas of fair-trade like payment of a fair price, safe and healthy working environment for workers and gender equity.
Most importantly lets’ discuss on-“Fair Price”. Forget the workers representatives or managing committee that most fair trade tea estates claim to have. Even the manager who manages and control the day to day financial activities of the estate wouldn’t have the faintest idea of the selling prices.  Fair trade teas are never auctioned. Prices are determined discretely in the closed walls of overseas offices or Kolkata. Fair trade tea is mostly exported on the basis of a “private contracts” which is very confidential. The third party who generally audit and inspect the FLO standards and activities also does not bother to worry about the selling prices for reasons unknown. How can an audit be possible without knowing the revenue?
A small chunk of fair-trade money is always kept aside (at site in the local bank) for the managing committee to brawl about the new projects and schemes that they would be implementing in the estates. For information this money is the general premium money which is accumulated by fair trading partners by exhibiting the poverty and the conditions of the workers in the estate.
Safe and healthy working environment- Tea is an agricultural as well as industrial food commodity, which requires 90% manual labour. Government labour commission is there to take care of this matter, except that most of the inspectors who visit the estates on behalf of the government are well rewarded for their visits and taken well care of by respective companies who run the estates.
Most corporate houses like Goodricke group, Williamson Maygors, Duncans e.t.c have maintained the norms laid down by the government of India, and I feel our government has done a good job, it is up to the organization whether to respect or disrespect the norms laid down.
About other matters like Safe Drinking water, Health and Electricity (Power) the lack of liaison between government bodies and the management of the tea estates is the main cause. Today, Government of India and our state government respectively have enough funds to provide basic essentials.

Last of all, the terrier of this region makes life quite hard. If men chop wood women carry water-the local people (esp.Nepalese) are very liberal. Most of the women have been bread winners of the family since eons so I don’t think there is much scope of work in relation to gender equity.
Any ways the cause is noble! Hats off to the marketers and Fair trade labeling organization.