New Directors bring Renewed Vision to JTS
Mary Popple • July 6, 2020
Buy the food. Support the work. Spread the word.
JTS is Scotland’s leading fair trade food importer, distributor and educator. Our ambition remains to ensure that small-holder food producers in the Global South receive fair recompense for the wonderful foodstuffs they produce, and that here more and more people enjoy their products and understand the importance of fairness and trade justice on our planet.
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.
Mary, Chair of JTS (mary@jts.co.uk)
A woman farmer in South Africa harvesting her chillies ready or them to be turned into chilli sauce
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Black Mamba is a small African Producer based in Eswatini, they are changing lives through their jams and chillies and working with True Origin
A Message from Tracy Mitchell, Managing Director, & Alistair Menzies, Chair of the Board
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HOW EVERY JAR FROM TRUE ORIGIN CHANGES LIVES IN RURAL KENYA
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