| Website | meritexchange.com |
| Blog | meritexchange.com... |
| @meritexchange | |
| Category | Consumer Web |
| Employees | 1 |
| Founded | 6/09 |
| Description | Sustainability-focused Web Communities |
Merit Exchange LLC develops and administers interactive websites and communities oriented towards sustainability. The company’s more ambitious project is Merit Exchange, a community economic system, using a community currency, classified ads, social networking features, and an honor code. Merit Exchange LLC also developed and manages RateTea.net, a site for tea ratings and reviews, and may develop more websites in the future.
| Website | ratetea.com |
| Blog | ratetea.com/news.php |
| Stage | Live |
| Launch Date | September 18, 2009 |
| Tags | food, health, organic, ratings, reviews, sustainability, social-recommendations, web |
RateTea is the first online community where anyone can rate and review teas.
RateTea features a searchable database of teas classified by brand, style, and region of origin. The database of teas is maintained by an editorial team to ensure accuracy. In addition to user-generated ratings and reviews, the site has researched information about each brand, style, and region, as well as articles on topics relating to tea, herbal tea, and health. Part of RateTea’s purpose is to raise awareness of sustainability issues in the world of tea, through highlighting tea companies’ practices that promote sustainability, including organic and fair trade certification, biodegradable and compostable packaging, direct sourcing from small farmers, and preserving and cultivating local tea traditions.
RateTea also aims to promote slow food culture in general, through encouraging people to focus on the flavor and aroma of what they drink, and through getting people to think about where their food and drink comes from and how it is produced.
