17 Years of Creating Impact Through Trade. Looking Back, Moving Forward

Tracy Mitchell • March 26, 2026

From our MD, Tracy Mitchell

This week marks 17 years since Just Trading Scotland was legally registered — a milestone that feels both humbling and energising.

Today, as part of True Origin, working alongside our parent charity, True Origin Partnerships, our mission remains clear: to create true impact at origin. Together, these two parts — the trading business and the charity — enable us to build both commercial opportunity and lasting impact. Anniversaries like this aren’t just about numbers — they’re about people, partnerships, and purpose.

When we started in 2009, the world was in a very different place. The global financial crisis had shaken economies and livelihoods, smartphones were only just becoming mainstream, and platforms that now shape daily life — like WhatsApp and Instagram — were either brand new or not yet imagined. It was a moment of uncertainty, but also one that prompted new thinking about how business could work differently — and more fairly.

It’s hard to believe that seven years have passed since our parliamentary reception celebrating our first decade. Alongside the publication of our 10-year review, that moment gave us the opportunity to pause, reflect, and recognise just how far we had come. It was a celebration of a community: producers, partners, staff, board members, customers, and supporters — all connected through a shared belief that trade can be a force for good.

That belief is perhaps best seen in the lives of the people we work alongside. People like the women at Meru Herbs in Kenya where our purchases help mothers send their children to school, allow farmers to invest in their land, and keep a small rural economy alive and thriving. Where they say that our trade is telling every farmer: “Your work matters. Your traditions matter. Your future matters.”

And people like Agrippa Mwaful Zimba. Agrippa grew up in Northern Malawi in a family facing significant financial hardship. Despite excelling at school, his future was uncertain when his family could not afford secondary school fees. At that critical moment, support through True Origin Partnerships, working with KASFA, enabled him to continue his education.

Reflecting on that experience, Agrippa describes it as a turning point:

“At that critical moment, when uncertainty and confusion surrounded my future, True Origin, through KASFA, intervened.”

With support for tuition, accommodation, and living costs, Agrippa went on to study Agricultural Economics at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Today, he speaks not only of what he has achieved, but of what has been made possible:

“Your investment has not only changed my life; it has created a future full of hope, purpose, and impact.”

Stories like these remind us why we exist.

Since our ten-year anniversary, the world has changed in ways none of us could have anticipated — and Just Trading Scotland has evolved too, including our rebranding in 2023 to True Origin.

This week also marks six years since I stepped into the role of Managing Director, having previously held a variety of roles within the organisation. Early in that time, we deepened our commitment to fair trade, undertaking a rigorous audit process — conducted entirely on Zoom during COVID — to become a World Fair Trade Organisation Guaranteed Member.

Just last month, we were audited again, this time face to face. While we await the final outcome, we were encouraged that the auditors recognised how deeply the 10 Principles of Fair Trade are embedded across all aspects of our work.

It would be fair to say that my time as MD so far has been defined by both challenge and growth — navigating uncertainty, learning constantly, and relying on the strength of our team and partnerships. There have been real financial pressures, with cash often constraining our growth ambitions, but also moments of inspiring renewal — including the launch of wonderful new products from Black Mamba and Sunshine Nuts earlier this year, and the opportunity to deepen relationships with our producer partners.

While so much has changed over the years, what has remained constant is our purpose.

We exist to create impact through food — to build meaningful, long-term relationships with producers, and to connect those stories to customers here in the UK. That mission has not changed in 17 years. But how we deliver it continues to evolve.

As we look ahead, there is much to be excited about. We are working with incredible producer groups, developing new products, and finding fresh ways to engage our growing community of supporters. At the same time, we are learning — about what works, what doesn’t, and where we need to adapt to build something truly sustainable for the long term.

Anniversaries are also a moment to say thank you:

To our producer partners: for your resilience, skill, and trust.
To our team: for your commitment, creativity, and perseverance.
To our customers and supporters: for choosing to be part of this story, again and again.

Seventeen years in, we are not standing still. If anything, this moment feels less like a celebration of the past and more like a stepping stone towards the future — with our 20th anniversary now just three years away.

There is still so much to do — and we are grateful to be doing it together. We invite you to be part of what comes next.

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