Sally has enthused about our trading relationship and has a clear passion for the work at Meru Herbs “Everyone has a voice within the business and all the leaders are women – we promote from within and give career opportunities which breathe life and ambition into this community. When Meru first started, men took priority in the building of the water project but Meru Herbs gave employment to the local women thus giving them a chance to earn some income for themselves. Now our workers have their own bank accounts and their own money, they own land with their own title, and they’ve built better homes for their children."
JTS MD, Tracy Mitchell, talks about Meru Herbs in Kenya
Nicola Taylor • May 4, 2023
Why are Meru so special?
I wanted to share something about how I am I personally inspired by Meru Herbs in Kenya and keen to see our relationship continue and develop through 2023 and beyond.
My interest in Kenya goes back more than 40 years – my Godfather visited in the 1970s and brought back a wonderful wooden elephant puzzle for me and later, when I was a Guide, I did a project on Kenya for my Commonwealth badge.
So, when JTS started importing from Meru Herbs in 2013 I was eager to learn more about the producers and the products. Initially, we just listed some exotic jams and at that time it was a joint initiative with Traidcraft who imported some of Meru’s herbal teas. JTS’s relationship with Meru Herbs became much more significant when we introduced the two tomato-based sauces. These are now key products in our range with regular customers enthusing about the lack of additives and real fresh taste you get from the sauces. One local café owner, with considerable experience working in Italian restaurants, has described them as one of the best sauces he has come across in a jar. Certainly, the tomato & basil sauce is a store cupboard essential in our house – perfect for the evenings when I don’t have a plan for tea or need something really quick. On its own over pasta or with some chicken, bacon or vegetables through it, it makes a great family meal.
Over the years, I have been encouraged by the reception the products have received. We hosted a visit from Anisia Wanja from Meru Herbs in 2014, giving schools, fair trade groups and a local deli a chance to hear direct from one of our partners. At the time our then MD Malcolm commented “I learned (or more accurately it was reinforced) that producers in the developing world do not want charity. They want the opportunity to penetrate new markets and trade their products through ethical partners.” For three years from late 2016, we worked in collaboration with Soroptimists throughout GB & Ireland as sales through their groups supported the Soroptimists Meru Women’s Garden Project. We spoke and sold at local events and held a stall at their annual conference in Cardiff. This brought the products to a whole new audience with stalls at several events selling out.
With the two tomato products selling well, we now import by the container load. We like working with Meru Herbs and our involvement is wider than simply buying their delicious products:
- In conjunction with The Balmore Trust and with support from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, we have been working with Meru Herbs as they seek to become members of WFTO (the World Fair Trade Organization). Having achieved provisional membership status in 2022, they were audited earlier this year with the hope of becoming “guaranteed” members. We will share news on this as soon as we have it.
- Meru Herbs have featured in the Gavin’s Mill alternative gift catalogue – funds raised this way have provided women farmers, and their families, with solar lamps to give safe, low-cost lighting using clean, renewable energy replacing hazardous paraffin lamps or candles. The lamps have a built-in radio and phone charger, providing families with news and entertainment.
Since the start of COVID restrictions, JTS has been developing its producer relationships through regular zoom sessions. We discuss orders of course but also business and community developments. Personally, I really value these sessions, and I particularly enjoy meeting with Sally Sawaya, the Meru Herbs managing director and her team. These sessions led to Sally speaking by zoom at a supporter event at Gavin’s Mill in 2022 where we learnt about the history of Meru Herbs, it’s links to Italy and how the factory is fully solar powered. As well as giving folks a chance to hear direct from Sally, the event included a jam tasting session and raised funds for staff uniforms at Meru Herbs.
It was really hard therefore earlier this year to have to share news with Sally that Traidcraft had gone into administration and that having assessed the impact on all our producer partners we had identified that Meru Herbs were particularly vulnerable. Traidcraft bought several Meru Herbs lines from JTS in large volumes and without their purchases we were really concerned about our stock levels and what the impact would be on our future ordering.
Following the closure of Traidcraft, Transform Trade contacted JTS to understand any key producer impacts and I expressed my concern for Meru Herbs. As you may have seen, Meru Herbs have as a result of these conversations, featured in the Transform Trade Producer Fund appeal https://www.transform-trade.org/producer – we are hopeful that they will receive a grant in the coming days to help them invest in training and certification as well as upgrade some production equipment.
As the Transform Trade appeal has said ” The success of a producer-led business is not measured purely in sales or in profit, but by their impact on the lives of the workers and artisans, the growers and makers they employ, and all of their families……Traidcraft (through JTS) was Meru Herbs' largest buyer, and their closure may affect as many as 1500 people.”
Throughout this period, we have been liaising closely with Sally, understanding the potential impact of not getting an order in 2023 as well as the importance of timing particularly for seasonally available fruits. I was really pleased then to be able to tell Sally in late March that our board had agreed to go ahead with an order and to work to raise funds through our Crowdfunding to enable us to add some new products. So far, we have only ordered the jams where the fruits were in season (and wouldn’t be for much longer); we will review sales data (and how this has changed post-Traidcraft) in early June with a view to firming up the rest of our order then – by which time we hope the required jars will have arrived with Meru Herbs to enable the rest of our order to be produced.
We continue to be totally committed to delivering as a fair trade business, putting the producers at the centre of this. It is clear that the fair trade sector is under strain at the moment but we believe our focus on direct relationships with producers is totally true to the principles of Fair Trade and we will remain steadfast in delivering against them.
We ask for your continued support as we continue to work with Meru Herbs.
Will you buy some of their wonderful products? We are particularly keen to see a growth in sales for these three products:
- Tomato & Basil sauce Meru Herbs Tomato & Basil Sauce (295g) – JTS Retail
- Tomato & Chilli sauce Meru Herbs Tomato & Chilli Sauce (295g) – JTS Retail
- Hibiscus jam – which is on special offer through May Meru Herbs Hibiscus Jam (330g) – JTS Retail
Could you donate to our Crowdfunder for product development? JTS growth and development fund 2023 - a Food and Drink crowdfunding project in Paisley by JTS Fair Food Fine Food (crowdfunder.co.uk).
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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