A review of 2019-20

Dignity through Trade

Ma’s Organic and Fairtrade Coconut Milk was upgraded to a 2* Great Taste Award.

More than 150 groups undertook the 90kg Rice Challenge, buying the amount of rice a farmer in Malawi needs to sell to pay for a year’s secondary schooling.

•A review of 2019/20

Ethical Consumer magazine recognised Kilombero Rice as the most ethical rice on the UK Market.

Three other products received new Great Taste

Awards.

We are growing strong trading partnerships particularly with our larger customers and seeking new products to meet the increasing interest in organic and vegan products.

The Scottish Grocer, May 2019

"The JTS range certainly ticks all the boxes for vegans and vegetarians

and its international flavours line up nicely with growing interest in global

cuisine."

Generous donations have allowed us to distribute almost £15k worth of food to support local and national foodbanks and charities.

Recognitions helped to drive growth in key product sales. Our increased purchases from the producers enable them to develop their business and support their communities.

Over 40 tonnes of rice

sold!

Over 24,000 tins of coconut milk sold!

We are playing our part in the SDGs. External

recognition of our food products

and supply chain, combined with

increasing numbers undertaking the 90kg

Rice Challenge, point particularly to our contribution to

SDG 12.

Development work continues in Malawi through several grant-funded small projects run by the Balmore Trust. We are working with the Scottish Fair Trade Forum to help our rice farmer partners, KASFA, attain WFTO membership.

JTS received a Special Recognition Award for our partnership work with fair

trade producers in Malawi, The Kingdom of Eswatini,

South Africa, Sri Lanka and Kenya.

We continue to sell our ethically traded food products to a wide spectrum of customers including wholesalers, fair trade shops, schools and community groups who sell through local stalls. Our online shop saw significant growth.

Two of our staff achieved SVQs (Scottish Vocational Qualifications) during the year and our warehouse apprentice successfully completed his Modern Apprenticeship.

3000 children and almost 2000 adults have learnt about sustainable farming and the benefits of fair trade. In collaboration

with our local council and fair trade shop Rainbow Turtle, we hosted a primary schools conference with workshops

on fair trade, social enterprise and sustainable development.

MARY POPPLE - Chair

This year has been one of change and renewal. John Riches, Founder and inspiration for JTS, retired as our first Chair and I took over from him for the next phase of our journey. During 2019 Stephen Hayes and Malcolm Shannon retired from the Board having given outstanding service over many years. Joe Osman has joined us bringing a wealth of fair trade producer experience which will help us to continue to grow. With more new and diverse Board appointments confirmed early in the new financial year, we are well placed to take JTS forward.

In 2019, we received a substantial bequest that has given us the opportunity to get JTS on a firmer financial footing. We are hugely grateful for this.

The JTS staff team are truly dedicated and they run a well organised operation which is united with the Board in a clear understanding of our ambition. Our mission 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.

TRACY MITCHELL - Managing Director

It has been both an immensely encouraging and challenging year for JTS but, with huge thanks to the hardworking staff team and our committed Board, volunteers and supporters, we ended the year in a good place, well positioned for growth.

It was wonderful to start the year with the celebration of our 10th birthday. Since then, generous support for our Join us on the Journey working capital appeal, combined with the bequest income, has significantly eased the working capital constraints that have impacted our ability to grow.

We were thrilled that our Great Taste award winning Kilombero Rice topped the Ethical Consumer magazine’s review of rice in the UK market-place - awarding it Best Buy status as the most ethical rice. We were encouraged by the feedback from the 2019 Great Taste Awards, where a further three products received awards and Ma’s Organic and Fairtrade Coconut Milk had its award upgraded. Increasing use of technology has enabled us to develop more direct relationships with our producer partners and to showcase the difference our purchases make to the farmers, producers and their communities. Combined with the increasing interest in planet friendly foods, the external quality and ethical endorsements and producer case studies are really helping us as we seek to grow the market for the products.

Looking forward, I feel very privileged to lead such a great staff team, all focussed on ensuring we serve our customers well, supplying quality food products with a great story. By doing this and with your ongoing support we will continue to provide Dignity through Trade for our amazing producer partners.

Buy the products

Spread the word

Support the work

jts.co.uk/shop

jts.co.uk/90kg-rice-challenge

jts.co.uk/join-us-for-the-journey

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info@jts.co.uk | www.jts.co.uk | 0141 255 0901 JTS, Unit 3/4 Greenlaw Industrial Estate, Wallneuk Road, Paisley, PA3 4BT

JTS is wholly owned by The Balmore Trust, a charitable trust registered in Scotland (Scottish Charity SC008930)

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