New Directors bring Renewed Vision to JTS

Following reorganisation in 2017 which gave us the strong long-term JTS staff team of Martin, Nicola and Jade who many of you will know, we celebrated our 10th anniversary last year. Since then we have been building the JTS Board so that we can take on the challenges of the next phase in the life of the enterprise. Joe Osman, a former Director of Traidcraft who has worked in fair trade through all his working life, joined us in the middle of last year. Joe has written a book on Traidcraft which is soon to be published which tells the story of fair trade in the UK so far. He has brought to us his huge experience of understanding and developing supply chains of foodstuffs from producers in the Global South to consumers in Britain and Europe as well as a better understanding of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO). 

I am also delighted that Karena Jarvie, who is a stalwart supporter joined the Board earlier this year. She is a long term fair trader and has a very strong understanding of the mission and beliefs of the grassroots support for JTS. She is Chairperson of the Perth and Kinross FT Zone Group and a member of Kinross Fair Trade Group as well as a Trustee of Scottish Fair Trade Forum.  

We have recently been joined by Alistair Menzies. He formerly worked in senior sales and marketing positions for both Traidcraft and Divine Chocolate and thus brings with him sound commercial knowledge of the food market place and particularly an understanding of introducing ethical brands to the wider retail world.  

Lastly, our Managing Director, Tracy Mitchell has joined the Board after being associated with JTS for all of its ten years. John made a brilliant appointment back then. Besides being an excellent MD to work with, Tracy embodies the ethics and enthusiasm for trade justice that JTS stands for.  

We welcome all our new Board members and together with John, Robin, Terry and myself these highly motivated people bring renewed urgency and vision to JTS as we enter the post-Covid world and we seek to become a truly sustainable enterprise.