JTS Blog

Take a step for Fair Trade.... A Fairtrade Fortnight trail!

2012-02-16T11:26:00.006Z

This year's theme for Fairtrade Fortnight is 'Take a Step for Fairtrade'. A step can be anything that you do for Fairtrade from swapping your tea to selling a 90kg challenge. JTS are suggesting that you may want to get involved by setting up a Fairtrade Trail. This could be around your building: church, school or around your neighbourhood. We have created a resource pack that is for sale at £5.00 each until Fairtrade Fortnight or alternatively we have a preview pack.

Click here to download our Fairtrade Fortnight preview pack!

Scotland has sights set on becoming a Fair Trade Nation in 2012

2012-01-25T14:27:00.004Z

Scotland aims to become a Fair Trade Nation in 2012, and to raise awareness the Co-operative Group's membership team is backing a series of events to promote African Cooking using Fair Trade ingredients. Savour the flavour events have already been held in conjunction with JTS , with the most recent event in Alloa. Following the success, more are planned throughout 2012. To read the Co-operative News most recent article about this please click here.

Take a step for Fair Trade... A Fairtrade Fortnight Trail!

2012-01-12T15:36:00.000Z

We have been thinking about how we can work with the theme for Fairtrade Fortnight: Take a step for Fairtrade and we thought that it would be interesting to develop this around the idea of a Fair Trade trail. Trails could be of very different kinds:

A trail around your locality, taking in some of the shops, schools, churches, council buildings, work places and community groups who support fair trade;
A trail around your school or church buildings, where different classes or groups have set up displays, representing different aspects of fair trade, offering different goods for sale and different foods to try
It could be a Safari Supper, where different courses of a meal using fair trade products are served in each house or venue.

We are in the process of developing a resource pack for these different kinds of trail. We have recipes, information sheets, slide shows, videos, posters, power point presentations and much more. For more information or to request a pack please contact us at kellie@justtradingscotland.co.uk or 0141 887 2882.

25% off Eswatini Sweet & Spicy Triple Gift Packs and FREE carriage until Christmas

2011-12-01T14:40:00.002Z

We have reduced the price of our Eswatini Sweet & Spicy triple gift packs. These make an ideal ethical alternative Christmas gift! Get in quick while stocks last! We will also be offering ALL customers free carriage up until Christmas. Contact us on 0141 887 2882 or info@justtradingscotland.co.uk for more information or to place an order.

New Monkland Primary complete a 90kg Challenge and show off some terrific artwork!

2011-12-01T12:16:00.002Z

New Monkland Primary school sold their 90kg of rice through their Malawi Committee. The children devised a letter to go out to all the parents for them to place an order. They had a stall for 4 days in the hall during tea breaks where the children came with their slips and money to buy the rice. The children have created a fantastic Comic Strip style piece of artwork which we have posted for you to have a look at. Mary Reid (Class Teacher) said: " Your blog is very useful and we also got a better idea of all the resources that you produce. You have a fantastic education section and this should be opened up to all schools who are involved with similar activities. We found all the resources in the pack useful".

African Kitchen on sale at Savour the Flavour event in Alloa

2011-12-01T10:55:00.005Z

Above: Savour the flavour event for St Andrew's Day in Alloa

Edinburgh Ethical Christmas Fair, 10th to 18th December

2011-11-30T15:59:00.006Z

Just Trading Scotland will be back at the Edinburgh Ethical Christmas Fair In Edinburgh again this year. We will be there from Saturday 10th December to Sunday the 18th December. JTS will be sharing a stall with Rainbow Turtle and Created Gift. We will be selling our fantastic range of crafts from festive Swazi candles to stunning Ngwenya Glass. One World Shop (Edinburgh) will also have a stall at the fair and will be selling our range of Eswatini Swazi Kitchen and Malawi Kilombero Rice. We look forward to seeing you there!

Lochyside Primary School

2011-11-24T10:18:00.002Z

Above: Lochyside Fairtrade Committee
selling rice.

Lochyside RC Primary School have completed 2 x 90kg challenges this year so far! The school have recently just had their Fairtrade Status renewed for the 2nd year. They have sold the rice at their local church as well as to parents during open days and parents evenings. To read more, see more pictures and download supporting materials please click here.

10% OFF All Ngwenya Glass & KIRI London Jewellery

2011-11-08T15:22:00.001Z

For the month of November and December ALL Ngwenya Glass and KIRI London Jewellery has 10% off. Both the glassware and the KIRI products would make gorgeous Christmas gifts, or why not just treat yourself? For more information, prices and ordering please contact us on 0141 887 2882 or email us at info@justtradingscotland.co.uk.

Festive Jute Bags now on sale

2011-11-08T14:33:00.000Z

JTS are happy to bring you our new range of festive coloured Jute Bags which can be bought along side the fabulous Eswatini Swazi Kitchen range. These Green, Red and Natural coloured bags are ideal as an alternative Christmas gift when filled with Eswatini sauces, jams, chutneys or sauces. The Jute Bags only cost £1.00 each (inclusive of VAT)! Please contact us on 0141 887 2882 or email us at info@justtradingscotland.co.uk to place an order or for more information.

Rwandan Christmas & Greetings cards now on Sale!

2011-11-08T12:25:00.003Z

These remarkable hand made cards are decorated with intricately carved banana leaf cuttings. Each piece of the picture or stroke of a letter is individually carved out of the appropriately coloured banana leaf and stuck onto the card. Often the traditional glue made from cassava roots is used for this. The workmanship is precise and imaginative, producing truly memorable cards. For more information or to place an order please contact us on 0141 887 2882 or email us at info@justtradingscotland.co.uk.

We have launched our Swazi Challenge!

2011-10-20T14:04:00.001+01:00

Eswatini products are prepared by around 30 women. Buying Eswatini helps these women gain skills and income for their family's. It also provides an income for the local smallholder farmers who provide ingredients. Eswatini is owned by Manzini Youth Care who provide accommodation, support, care and education for marginalized and homeless young people. They house around 144 street children and orphans. It costs around £15 to support one child with food, blankets and clothes for 1 month. Allinah Motsa, Cooking Supervisor at Eswatini has said:" I have been working for Eswatini for 18 years. I am a mother for 7 boys and their father was taken by God. I did not finish school. My ambition is that my children should have a better education and better life."
By buying Eswatini you are not only helping Allinah and her family but also providing valuable support to Manzini Youth Care. Can you sell an Eswatini Challenge Pack and support a child for 1 or 2 weeks? Perhaps if you are planning any events, stalls or fairs for Christmas you could sell Eswatini here? We are selling a small and large challenge pack with 48 or 96 jars. We will provide you with a pack consisting of posters, presentation CD, photographs and information sheets. Please contact us on 0141 887 2882 or info@justtradingscotland.co.uk for more information.

The Fair Traders Cooperative rises to the rice challenge

2011-10-05T12:12:00.002+01:00

Cllr Firth buys fair trade rice

The Fair Traders Cooperative in Holmfirth are supporting our campaign to send more Malawian children to school. They showcased our 90kg Malawi rice challenge at the Holmfirth Food and Drink Festival on 24th and 25th September. In total they have managed to sell a staggering total of 193kg so far! Helen Robinson from The Fair Traders Cooperative has sent us the below press release and photographs:

Customers of The Fair Traders Co-operative and visitors to Holmfirth Food & Drink Festival made a huge difference last weekend by buying enough fairly traded rice to pay for two children in Malawi to go to school for a year.
The Fair Traders Cooperative launched its Fair Trade Rice Challenge at the start of September, with the goal of selling 90kg of rice during the month and another 90kg over the weekend of Holmfirth Food and Drink Festival.
Read more »

Malawi Kilombero Rice and Fair Trade - The business of a PhD

2011-09-28T00:19:00.012+01:00

It's not everyday you get a PhD written about the business you're involved in, so it came as a surprise when three years ago, Alastair Smith, an Oxford graduate working at the University of Cardiff approached us to see if we would be willing for him to do a study of our rice project. Alastair was studying at BRASS (the ESRC Centre for Business, Relationship, Accountabilty, Sustainability and Society) is a member of Fairness UK and is involved in organising the Fair Trade International Symposium which will meet next year in Liverpool. He completed his PhD this summer after conducting extensive interviews with councils, Fair Trade organisations, including the Fairtrade Foundation, and JTS in the UK and then travelling round Malawi speaking to our suppliers, NASFAM and their members and farmers.

The whole PhD dissertation is long but a fascinating read and teaches you a huge amount about how fair trade has been developing and continues to develop by focussing on the way in which Malawi rice, though not yet FLO certified, has nevertheless been accepted on all sides, by fair trade groups, by public bodies and even by the Fairtrade Foundation. Alastair has just produced a short summary of his findings about the value of JTS' work in exporting rice. We hope you enjoy reading it!

Click here to read the summary as a pdf.

Rice Challenge: The Fair Traders Co-operative Launches Campaign for African School Children

2011-09-14T16:55:00.005+01:00

The Fair Traders Co-operative in Holmfirth are supporting our a campaign to send more children to school in Malawi. They are showcasing the 90kg Malawi Rice Challenge at the Holmfirth Food & Drink Festival on 24th and 25th September, with the goal of 'eating people out of poverty'. John Riches will be attending and speaking at the event about the rice. Helen Robinson from the Fair Traders Co-operative has sent us the below press release:

Have you ever thought that the brand of rice you buy could have an impact on whether children in Africa attend school or not? The Fair Traders Co-operative in Holmfirth wants to press home the message that by buying fairly traded rice instead of your usual brand, you really can make this difference. And the shop is launching a Rice Challenge during HolmfirthFood and Drink Festival later this year to help increase sales of their fair trade rice so that more Malawian farmers can afford an education for their children.

Read more »

Price Increase

2011-09-07T14:36:00.001+01:00

It is with a somewhat heavy heart that we have had to announce a price increase across our range of products. There are lots of reasons for this: increases in the value of Rand, increases in prices of raw materials and loan repayments. Eswatini also make payments to Manzini Youth Care for it's youth work and the demands on MYC are growing all the time. In the meantime we have tried to share the pain with you in order to be able to continue to support Eswatini. As such we have created two separate price points with RRP's of £3.25 and £3.35. All jams, marmalade's and some savoury products are at the lower price point with the other savoury products at the higher price point. If you would like any more information on any of this or a copy of our new price list please contact us by email (info@justtradingscotland.co.uk) or phone (0141 887 2882).

Why Just Trading Scotland is over the moon about OXFAM’S GROW initiative

2011-08-04T14:29:00.003+01:00

JTS is a Scottish fair trade company working with smallholder farmers in Swaziland and Malawi. We know that they need a powerful voice to advocate their cause.

OXFAM is right to remind the powerful of the world that there are 500 million smallholder farmers in the world who put food into 2 billion people's mouths and who could do much, much more. And yet these farmers receive minimal support. While the rich nations pour support into their agriculture, agricultural aid in 2006 represented only a scandalous 3.7% of total official development assistance (ODA). We are delighted that OXFAM is arguing for real support to be given to smallholder farmers in the poorest countries so that they can contribute to the development of their own countries and to feeding the world.
Read more »

All your favourite Eswatini products are back in stock!

2011-07-06T15:51:00.011+01:00

More great news to report! Our latest container from Swaziland has now arrived. We now have many of your favourite Eswatini products back in stock such as: Swazi Fire, Hot Mango Chutney, Mixed Fruit Chutney, Marula Jam, Medium Curry Sauce and many more. As well as Eswatini we also have more beautiful glassware from Ngwenya glass. We have replenished much of the stock glass stock we had last year as well as adding new lines such as the stunning Crooked Wine Glasses. We are delighted that for the first time in a while our warehouse is stocked to capacity with rice, Eswatini, nuts, lentils and breathtaking crafts. Please feel free to contact us at any time to place your orders or to get more information. We also value all feedback on our products so do not hesitate to get in touch!

Reintroducing Lentils

2011-07-06T15:38:00.002+01:00

After last years false start we are finally able to bring to you the fantastic Toor Dhal split yellow lentils from Malawi. We are currently selling them in 500 gram bags and soon to be in 3kg bags. We are delighted to be adding to our existing product range with such a fantastic range of pulses. Contact us now to get your orders in!

Great News! Our rice is back in stock and available to you all.

2011-06-29T12:12:00.003+01:00

As of Wednesday 28th June our delivery of rice eventually arrived at our warehouse in Paisley. We are delighted to say that it is now available to you all. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your patience and understanding during what has been a challenging time at Just Trading Scotland. We are currently working through our backlog orders however with stocks at an all time high we look forward to receiving more of your orders for our fantastic Kilombero rice. Please pass on our good news to all of your friends and colleagues and feel free to contact us at any time. We are really looking forward to hearing from you.

Looking for ideas for your summer fete?

2011-06-23T11:21:00.001+01:00

Why not take a leaf out of St. Peter’s Church, Westfield who took our products to their summer fete. Dr Kristina Baker said “Our church fair was a great success, the rice, jars and nuts went down particularly well. The jam tasting was much appreciated. We hope to place an order for harvest and our Christmas fair in due course.”

Further delay to rice.

2011-05-24T10:03:00.002+01:00

After finally receiving our long awaited delivery of white Kilombero rice into the UK, we thought that our problems were behind us. However, we have run into delays in the bagging process. Although we are doing everything in our power to speed this up, it looks as if it will be late June before we can start to ship from our warehouse. We can only apologise to our customers for this delay and thank you for your support and patience. Brown rice supplies are still available. If you’d like to order any of our products including brown rice or even pre-order white rice you can call our team on 0141 887 2882.

KIRI LONDON JEWELLERY

2011-05-16T13:24:00.003+01:00

We have just received a delivery of lovely gemstone products from India which are designed and imported by Kiri London – Alison Grant. Some of you will have met her over the past year at fairs and markets. We hope you’ll consider taking some of these. The frames are ideal for wedding presents and, later on, for Christmas gifts. The jewellery is very attractive and very reasonably priced and then there are the purses and boxes!
Read more »

Eswatini Swazi Kitchen samples packs have been a roaring success!

2011-05-15T13:32:00.000+01:00

Last month we launched our Eswatini Swazi Kitchen tasting pack. This has been a roaring success! The pack consists of: 6 jars from our Eswatini range (the choice is yours), a packet of oatcakes, tasting spoons & a product information sheet. We are so confident in the quality of the Eswatini range we believe that once customers taste the fantastic flavours they will be smitten and will want more.
Read more »

CONTAINER WELL ON ITS WAY

2011-05-10T10:02:00.000+01:00

After all the frustrations with delays in the supply of rice over the past few months, we are now happy to say that the container with our rice left Durban on the 9th April on its way to Felixstowe where it is due to arrive on 2nd May. It had sat for weeks at Beira waiting for the feeder vessel to take it down to the port in Durban. Now suddenly things are moving and we are hoping for a smooth turn around in Felixstowe and looking to see the rice coming into the warehouse mid to late May.

We certainly don’t want to go through these gaps in supply again and we have a further container which is due to leave Blantyre, Malawi in the next couple of weeks. That should at least deal with our supply through the autumn but we are looking to raise more working capital so that we can place more orders and keep good stocks in the warehouse to guard against future delays.

We’ll keep you posted on the progress of the container and we’d be delighted if you could place orders in advance of its arrival so that we can get the rice flow moving again! If you want to follow the container’s voyage, click here

90 kg Rice Challenge

BUCHANAN’S FAIRTRADE SWEETS

2011-05-05T13:13:00.000+01:00

Jan Tucker of Fair Do’s in Wales sells a whole range of our Just Trading Scotland fairly traded goods. We asked Jan what she thought about the Buchanan’s Fair Trade range and how she sold them. This is what Jan told us:
“We started buying Buchanan’s sweets from Golden Casket after Traidcraft discontinued some lines, for example Assorted Toffees and After Dinner Mints, as our customers missed them badly! We were really pleased when we knew we could order them from you, as Golden Casket required large orders, and multiples of 12, which meant we often ordered more than we actually needed. It’s great to be able to combine the sweets now with your other products.”
Read more »

AFRICAN FUTURES

2011-05-03T10:03:00.000+01:00

JTS has been learning the hard way: for the last month stocks of the very popular Malawi Kilombero rice have been dwindling away in the warehouse in Paisley and at the time of writing it seems that it will be May before new stocks arrive. We have hit more snags that we could have imagined possible since we placed orders last August. We are really very sorry about disappointing those who were planning to hold 90kg challenge events this Fairtrade Fortnight.

However we would like to offer the following alternative.
Read more »