JTS recognised by the Social Enterprise World Forum
Tracy Mitchell • June 22, 2022
Earlier this month the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) officially recognised JTS as a social enterprise. JTS has long considered itself a social enterprise and acted as such. However, the scrutiny and approval of a respected third party gives consumers added confidence in the company’s claims.
The verification criteria used by SEWF covered the following areas of mission and governance:
- Mission: the social enterprise has a clearly stated primary social or environmental mission.
- Ethics: the social enterprise is transparent about and accountable to its mission and aspires to the highest ethical business standards in all internal and external dealings.
- Income: the social enterprise generates the majority (51% or more) of its operating income from trade, the sale of products and services, including grants for product outputs or services.
- Surplus: the social enterprise reinvests the majority (51% or more) of its surpluses in pursuit of the mission.
- Ownership: the social enterprise is controlled in the interests of the stated mission, not individually controlled.
- Asset Lock: the social enterprise has provisions in place to ensure that if the organisation is dissolved, disposed of or converted, all residual assets will be distributed in line with the stated mission.
It is exciting to have this additional recognition which builds on our World Fair Trade Organization Guaranteed Member status. We really hope this recognition will help us support our producer partners through increasing the sales of their wonderful food products.
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We’re absolutely thrilled to share some incredible news: Ethical Consumer has extended its prestigious Best Buy status to the entire True Origin product range and Traidcraft Tea! This recognition previously applied only to our True Origin Kilombero rice, but now it covers all True Origin products — and our beloved Traidcraft Tea as well. This is a huge moment for us — and for everyone who chooses to shop with purpose. The Best Buy label is Ethical Consumer’s highest ethical rating, reserved for brands and products that go above and beyond in areas like environmental impact, workers’ rights, sustainability, and transparency. To receive this mark across our True Origin product range is a powerful endorsement of our ongoing commitment to fairness, justice, and sustainability in global trade – and of the way we do business here in the UK too. Ruairidh Fraser, researcher at Ethical Consumer, said “True Origin are clear ethical leaders in their field, so we're delighted to expand our Best Buy certification to cover all of their branded products. It’s rare to find a company of True Origin’s size which demonstrates such a comprehensive understanding of its social and environmental impact.” He continued “True Origin scored 100/100 for its approach to its supply chain, going above and beyond to ensure that workers’ rights are respected and their communities supported. From agriculture to food waste, they are rejecting greenwash and are instead focused on doing the right thing where it matters." From the fragrant Kilombero rice grown in the heart of Malawi to the rich, responsibly sourced Traidcraft Tea, from the fantastic relishes and spices from South Africa to the exotic Kenyan jams — every product in our portfolio stands for dignity, opportunity, and ethical excellence. We couldn’t have done it without our producer partners, staff and customers. Every time you choose True Origin or Traidcraft, you’re choosing a better world — and now you’ve got Ethical Consumer’s seal of approval to back that choice. 🛒 Explore the full Best Buy-approved range here . 📣 Spread the word and tag us when you share the news! Together, we’re changing trade for good. See Ethical Consumer Best Buy Label