Richard Adams (Traidcraft)
Encyclopedia
Richard Adams, OBE (born October 28, 1946) is the British founder of the UK fair trade
organisations Tearcraft and Traidcraft
and of a number of social enterprises which promote ethical business.
Adams attended King Edward VI Five Ways
school in Birmingham. He has degrees in sociology (St John's College
, Durham University
), theology (University of London
) and business administration (Newcastle University) which also conferred an honorary Doctor of Civil Law on him in 2005 as did Durham in 2007.
After visiting small farmers in Gujarat, India
, in 1973 he established an agricultural imports company in London with distribution to the main wholesale markets. In 1974 this business began importing crafts from farming communities in Bangladesh
, following which he founded Tearcraft which became the marketing arm of the UK relief and development charity, Tearfund
. In 1979 Richard established the independent company Traidcraft
, which became a plc
in 1984, offering the first 'alternative' and socially orientated public share issue in the UK. In 1989 Adams convened the steering committee of what became the UK's Fairtrade Foundation, based on the Dutch Max Havelaar Foundation. He was a member of its board from 1992 - 1999. In 1994 Adams founded the Creative Consumer Co-operative, through which Out of this World, Britain's first chain of organic grocery stores with an explicit ethical, fair trade, social and environmental agenda, were launched. In 2000 he co-founded the Warm Zone programme to combat fuel poverty and in 2006 was appointed as a non-executive director of Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Primary Care Trust and in 2010 was appointed Chair of Newcastle and North Tyneside Community Health. He is currently chairman of the Transparency Working Group of the European Nuclear Energy Forum, ENEF.
Adams was a director of the UK Social Investment Forum 1992-1996; Chair of the Student Christian Movement 1994-1997 and, with Mark Hayes, a co-initiator and founding director of the social investment society, Shared Interest. He is an honorary Fellow of Glasgow University's Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting and received an OBE in 2000 for services to ethical business. He was appointed by the UK Government in 2001 as one of 24 UK members of the Brussels–based Economic and Social Committee
of the European Union and has been re-appointed until 2015. He won the New Statesman
Social Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2005 and in 2006 was listed by The Independent
newspaper as one of the top 50 people in the UK who had had most impact in “making the world a better place” for his development of the concept of ethical shopping.
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
organisations Tearcraft and Traidcraft
Traidcraft
Traidcraft is a UK-based fairtrade organisation, established in 1979. The organisation has two components: a public limited company called Traidcraft plc, which sells fairly traded products in the United Kingdom; and a development charity called Traidcraft Exchange that works with poor producers in...
and of a number of social enterprises which promote ethical business.
Adams attended King Edward VI Five Ways
King Edward VI Five Ways
King Edward VI Five Ways is a selective, humanities specialist grammar school located in the Bartley Green area of south Birmingham, England. As of April 2008, the school has a second specialism, a specialist Science College.-Background:...
school in Birmingham. He has degrees in sociology (St John's College
St John's College, Durham
St John's College is a college of the University of Durham, United Kingdom. It is one of only two 'Recognised Colleges' of the University, the other being St Chad's. This means that it is financially and constitutionally independent of the University and has a greater degree of administrative...
, Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
), theology (University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
) and business administration (Newcastle University) which also conferred an honorary Doctor of Civil Law on him in 2005 as did Durham in 2007.
After visiting small farmers in Gujarat, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, in 1973 he established an agricultural imports company in London with distribution to the main wholesale markets. In 1974 this business began importing crafts from farming communities in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, following which he founded Tearcraft which became the marketing arm of the UK relief and development charity, Tearfund
Tearfund
Tearfund is a UK Christian relief and development agency which works in over 50 countries. It is a founding member of both the Micah Network and the Disasters Emergency Committee.-History:...
. In 1979 Richard established the independent company Traidcraft
Traidcraft
Traidcraft is a UK-based fairtrade organisation, established in 1979. The organisation has two components: a public limited company called Traidcraft plc, which sells fairly traded products in the United Kingdom; and a development charity called Traidcraft Exchange that works with poor producers in...
, which became a plc
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
in 1984, offering the first 'alternative' and socially orientated public share issue in the UK. In 1989 Adams convened the steering committee of what became the UK's Fairtrade Foundation, based on the Dutch Max Havelaar Foundation. He was a member of its board from 1992 - 1999. In 1994 Adams founded the Creative Consumer Co-operative, through which Out of this World, Britain's first chain of organic grocery stores with an explicit ethical, fair trade, social and environmental agenda, were launched. In 2000 he co-founded the Warm Zone programme to combat fuel poverty and in 2006 was appointed as a non-executive director of Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Primary Care Trust and in 2010 was appointed Chair of Newcastle and North Tyneside Community Health. He is currently chairman of the Transparency Working Group of the European Nuclear Energy Forum, ENEF.
Adams was a director of the UK Social Investment Forum 1992-1996; Chair of the Student Christian Movement 1994-1997 and, with Mark Hayes, a co-initiator and founding director of the social investment society, Shared Interest. He is an honorary Fellow of Glasgow University's Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting and received an OBE in 2000 for services to ethical business. He was appointed by the UK Government in 2001 as one of 24 UK members of the Brussels–based Economic and Social Committee
Economic and Social Committee
The European Economic and Social Committee is a body of the European Union established in 1958. It is a consultative assembly composed of employers , employees and representatives of various other interests...
of the European Union and has been re-appointed until 2015. He won the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
Social Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2005 and in 2006 was listed by The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
newspaper as one of the top 50 people in the UK who had had most impact in “making the world a better place” for his development of the concept of ethical shopping.