Traidcraft
Encyclopedia
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 Africa and Asia.
by Richard Adams
with six members of staff. Its first catalogue was hand-drawn featuring a small selection of jute
products from Bangladesh
. Within two years tea, coffee and subsequently a wide range of other foods were introduced.
In September 1983 the organisation moved into a 58000 square feet (5,388.4 m²) warehouse on the Team Valley
Trading Estate in Gateshead
, Tyne & Wear.
In 2004 it opened a second warehouse on the Team Valley
, which houses the quality control, food packaging and logistics departments. Traidcraft also has a policy unit based in London, taking the staff total to over 140. It sells fair trade food, clothes/accessories, paper and crafts. Traidcraft works with more than 100 producer groups in over 30 countries around the world.
, Kenya
; Hyderabad, India and Dhaka
, Bangladesh.
The Traidcraft Foundation holds the Guardian share in Traidcraft plc. This gives the Foundation the power of veto over election of directors to the plc board, payments of dividends and to the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The Foundation must also be consulted on Traidcraft's major strategic plans and has a role of representing the views of external stakeholders in the social accounting process.
including India
, Bangladesh
, Sri Lanka
, Indonesia
, Philippines
, Kenya
, Malawi
, Chile
and Cuba
.
Products include coffee, tea, fruit juice, sugar, wine, clothing, jewellery, paper and craft items. Among their food products is a snack bar called Geobar, Fairtrade chocolate, dried fruit, honey, pasta, rice and muesli.
Traidcraft plc holds a 10% stake in Cafédirect
which it set up jointly with Equal Exchange Trading
, Oxfam
and Twin Trading
.
Traidcraft is a founder member of the European Fair Trade Association
(EFTA). Traidcraft also helped establish the Fairtrade Foundation with CAFOD
, Christian Aid
, New Consumer, Oxfam and World Development Movement in 1992. It was also instrumental in the establishment of Newcastle based company Shared Interest in 1990. Shared Interest is a co-operative lending society that aims to reduce poverty in the world, by providing fair and just financial services.
Traidcraft plc aims to tackle poverty by creating a market for fair trade producers and to show the commercial viability of the fair trade model.
number: 1048752.
Established in 1986, Traidcraft Exchange aims to enable poor producers in Africa and Asia to grow their businesses, find markets, and engage effectively in trade.
They are currently managing 14 major projects with a total value of about £5.5 million. These projects are directly benefiting 350,000 people with a further 1.4 million indirectly benefiting.
Traidcraft Exchange also lobbies and advises governments and organisations with the aim of improving trade rules and market access for small organisations in the developing world. This is done by the Policy Unit which focuses on trade and development polices within the UK Government, the European Union
and the World Trade Organisation. The Policy Unit also works with other fair trade organisations in the UK, Europe and internationally.
The Traidcraft Exchange was awarded the 1999 Worldaware Award for Not-for-Profit Organisations in recognition of its positive work.
is a systematic means of accounting for the social impact of an organisation.
Traidcraft was the first public limited company in the United Kingdom to produce a set of social accounts and has been doing so every year since the early 1990s. The social accounts that are produced are a joint account of the impact both companies work has on various stakeholders. The social accounts are treated with the same seriousness as the financial accounts. They are also submitted to an external audit, and approval at the Annual General Meeting.
Traidcraft has won awards for the social accounts it reports. In 2005 it was awarded the Social Enterprise Champion (Organisation) Award at the New Statesman
Upstarts awards. In 2006 it received the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development
. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) gives out the award annually for Corporate social responsibility
:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based fairtrade organisation, established in 1979. The organisation has two components: a public limited company
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....
called Traidcraft plc, which sells fairly traded
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...
products in the United Kingdom; and a development charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
called Traidcraft Exchange that works with poor producers in Africa and Asia.
History
Traidcraft was set up as a faith organisation in August 1979. It was launched from the top floor of a 1920s warehouse (India House, Carliol Square) in the centre of Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
by Richard Adams
Richard Adams (Traidcraft)
Richard Adams, OBE 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...
with six members of staff. Its first catalogue was hand-drawn featuring a small selection of jute
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae....
products from 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...
. Within two years tea, coffee and subsequently a wide range of other foods were introduced.
In September 1983 the organisation moved into a 58000 square feet (5,388.4 m²) warehouse on the Team Valley
Team Valley
Team Valley is a traditionally heavily industrial area of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. More recently it has become home to the 'Retail World' retail park, which makes up just a small percentage of the entirety of the Team Valley Trading Estate...
Trading Estate in Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, Tyne & Wear.
In 2004 it opened a second warehouse on the Team Valley
Team Valley
Team Valley is a traditionally heavily industrial area of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. More recently it has become home to the 'Retail World' retail park, which makes up just a small percentage of the entirety of the Team Valley Trading Estate...
, which houses the quality control, food packaging and logistics departments. Traidcraft also has a policy unit based in London, taking the staff total to over 140. It sells fair trade food, clothes/accessories, paper and crafts. Traidcraft works with more than 100 producer groups in over 30 countries around the world.
Traidcraft structure
Traidcraft has overseas offices in NairobiNairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
; Hyderabad, India and Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, Bangladesh.
Traidcraft Foundation
The Traidcraft Foundation was set up to ensure that Traidcraft plc and Traidcraft Exchange remain focused on their principal aim. It was also the Founder member of the Traidcraft Exchange charity and as such appoints all its directors.The Traidcraft Foundation holds the Guardian share in Traidcraft plc. This gives the Foundation the power of veto over election of directors to the plc board, payments of dividends and to the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The Foundation must also be consulted on Traidcraft's major strategic plans and has a role of representing the views of external stakeholders in the social accounting process.
Traidcraft plc
Traidcraft plc is the trading arm of the organisation. The products are sourced from producers in over 30 developing countriesDeveloping country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
including 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...
, 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...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Products include coffee, tea, fruit juice, sugar, wine, clothing, jewellery, paper and craft items. Among their food products is a snack bar called Geobar, Fairtrade chocolate, dried fruit, honey, pasta, rice and muesli.
Traidcraft plc holds a 10% stake in Cafédirect
Cafédirect
Cafédirect is a UK-based alternative trading organization. It is currently one of the largest Fairtrade hot drinks companies in the world. As well as coffee, Cafédirect has a hot beverage range that includes 100% Fairtrade tea and hot chocolate...
which it set up jointly with Equal Exchange Trading
Equal Exchange Trading
Equal Exchange Trading is a UK-based alternative trading organization. Equal Exchange is a workers co-operative distributing food and beverage products in the independent natural food sector...
, Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
and Twin Trading
Twin Trading
Twin Trading is a leading alternative trading company in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1985 and is based in London.Twin Trading is wholly owned by Twin, a registered charity and membership organisation. Twin's membership comprises 24 farmer co-operatives in eight countries, drawing together...
.
Traidcraft is a founder member of the European Fair Trade Association
European Fair Trade Association
The European Fair Trade Association is a Dutch association established informally in 1987. It gained formal status in 1990. It regroups 11 fair trade importers in 9 European countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. EFTA members...
(EFTA). Traidcraft also helped establish the Fairtrade Foundation with CAFOD
CAFOD
The Catholic Agency For Overseas Development, previously known as the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development, is a United Kingdom-based international aid agency working to alleviate poverty and suffering in developing. It is funded by the Catholic community in England and Wales, the UK government...
, Christian Aid
Christian Aid
Christian Aid is the official relief and development agency of 40 British and Irish churches and works to support sustainable development, alleviate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster relief in South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia...
, New Consumer, Oxfam and World Development Movement in 1992. It was also instrumental in the establishment of Newcastle based company Shared Interest in 1990. Shared Interest is a co-operative lending society that aims to reduce poverty in the world, by providing fair and just financial services.
Traidcraft plc aims to tackle poverty by creating a market for fair trade producers and to show the commercial viability of the fair trade model.
Traidcraft Exchange
Traidcraft Exchange is the charitable arm of the Traidcraft organisation. Its first director was Graham Young. Registered charityCharitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
number: 1048752.
Established in 1986, Traidcraft Exchange aims to enable poor producers in Africa and Asia to grow their businesses, find markets, and engage effectively in trade.
They are currently managing 14 major projects with a total value of about £5.5 million. These projects are directly benefiting 350,000 people with a further 1.4 million indirectly benefiting.
Traidcraft Exchange also lobbies and advises governments and organisations with the aim of improving trade rules and market access for small organisations in the developing world. This is done by the Policy Unit which focuses on trade and development polices within the UK Government, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the World Trade Organisation. The Policy Unit also works with other fair trade organisations in the UK, Europe and internationally.
The Traidcraft Exchange was awarded the 1999 Worldaware Award for Not-for-Profit Organisations in recognition of its positive work.
Social accounts
Definition: Social accountingSocial accounting
Social accounting is the process of communicating the social and environmental effects of organizations' economic actions to particular interest groups within society and to society at...
is a systematic means of accounting for the social impact of an organisation.
Traidcraft was the first public limited company in the United Kingdom to produce a set of social accounts and has been doing so every year since the early 1990s. The social accounts that are produced are a joint account of the impact both companies work has on various stakeholders. The social accounts are treated with the same seriousness as the financial accounts. They are also submitted to an external audit, and approval at the Annual General Meeting.
Traidcraft has won awards for the social accounts it reports. In 2005 it was awarded the Social Enterprise Champion (Organisation) Award at 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....
Upstarts awards. In 2006 it received the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) gives out the award annually for Corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...
:
- 2007 - Joint Commendation for SME reporting
- 2006 - Commendation for reporting on stakeholder engagement
- 2005 - Winner
- 2004 – Runner-up