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 04, 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).
Sustainable production a step closer, thanks to True Origin Partnerships
Our Updated Environmental Policy + Meet Our New Volunteers
Are you passionate about fair trade and sustainable partnering with producers in the Global South? Please read on. Board Member opportunities True Origin launched last year, building on the success of Just Trading Scotland. We’re now in our 16 th trading year and remain as committed to our social purpose as we did from our set up: working directly with smallholder farmers and communities in the global south to source the finest ethical foods. In 2024/2025, we expect a number of our existing Board Members to retire. We are looking for 2 passionate, socially conscious individuals to join our Board ideally with PR, communications, marketing/social media; and funding/business development skills and experience. As importantly, we’re looking for Board colleagues willing to ask questions, share our passion for fair, ethical trade, driving our brand (and supporting us with your networks) as well as your time commitment to the role. Interested in reading more? Please download our candidate pack for more information. If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you. This is a voluntary position therefore the role is unpaid. Reasonable expenses would be reimbursed in line with our expense policy. To apply please send your CV and written statement to our Chair, Mary Popple mary@trueorigin.org.uk Closing date for applications is Monday, 8 th April 2024 noon.
We are delighted to welcome our newest Board Member, Simon Remington. Simon began his relationship with True Origin whilst working for Midcounties Cooperative, where he was Buying Manager. Simon has worked in commercial and buying roles for various retailers including Marks and Spencer, One Stop (Tesco), Spar (Blakemore) and most recently Midcounties Cooperative. He has also spent 7 years in the Airline Sector. True Origin Chair, Mary Popple said “Simon will bring fresh ideas, retail knowledge and a good working knowledge of the Co-op to our enterprise.” The board will benefit from his 27 years of experience in commercial roles as he helps to bring onboard new, like-minded customers, to enable growth for the future.
12 million Christmas jumpers are sold in the UK each year. Supporting our charity partner Transform Trade.
Read how True Origin Food and True Origin Partnerships are supporting rice farmers in Malawi faced with crop devastation due to climate change.
T his partnership builds on our joint work earlier this year to support Meru Herbs following the closure of Traidcraft. True Origin (then JTS) had quickly identified Meru Herbs as our most vulnerable producer partner at that time and we were thrilled to be able to create a link with Transform Trade who were able to provide a capacity building grant through their Producer Fund. Since then, we have been able to place a significant order with Meru Herbs, including a number of new lines (partly funded through our own Crowdfunder in April/May) and we are really looking forward to launching those products later this year. This one example highlights the value of working in collaboration with others in the fair trade sector and we are really looking forward to strengthening our joint work as Ethical Partners. Transform Trade have said “We’re pleased to be partnering with True Origin so that together, we can work for a world where everyone can enjoy the benefits of trade. True Origin is proving every day that business can be done differently, while Transform Trade works directly with the most marginalised producers and campaigns for a fairer trading system. “You will soon be able to top up your order with a donation to Transform Trade and support producers to build their businesses and advocate for their rights. To celebrate the new partnership True Origin are offering a free gift to Transform Trade supporters who place an order on their online shop between now and the end of October. " Our roots are in the alternative trade movement in the northeast of England and we draw support from across the UK and beyond. We work in partnership with ethical business, workers, farmers and social entrepreneurs in South Asia and East Africa to transform trade so that everyone benefits. Our focus areas are Fashion, Tea and Farming. We used to be known as Traidcraft Exchange. " Here’s a little more from Transform Trade " Within an unjust and broken trading system, we stand with the workers, farmers and social entrepreneurs who are transforming trade. We act as a resource partner, accompanier, influencer, networker and ally. We work at local, national and international levels, focusing on Fashion, Tea and Farming. We have a vision of trade which values all people and regenerates our fragile earth . " For more information on Transform Trade please see https://www.youtube.com/@transformtrade and https://www.transform-trade.org/ Sign up to hear more from Transform Trade: https://www.transform-trade.org/join
