Fair Trade Scotland began importing FLO certified sugar, from Malawi into Scotland, in 2009.
As a Social Business, we strongly believe that sustainability is intrinsically linked to profitability. We have foregone the traditional route of obtaining charitable status or acquiring shareholders in the belief that Trade not Aid is the way to ensure producers are visible in the Supply Chain. Open, Honest and transparent communication is key and returning profits to growing fair trade markets is core to our business practice.
Unusually we are members of WFTO and support the new WFTO Guarantee Certification System which will allow products to carry the WFTO Logo. We are also FLO Licensees and believe the Charter of Fair Trade is a very important document when trying to explain what third party verified certification systems look like. Two distinct but complimentary certification systems “which place at the heart of their social mission, advocacy and civic education activities as instruments of transformation of trade and modes of production and consumption”. We believe this is the best way to support small marginalised producers.
We believe that telling the producer story is key to transparency in the supply chain boosting consumer confidence. We have traded three containers of sugar from Illovo, the premium going direct to Kasinthula Cane Growers. As Scotland has strong links with Malawi we hope to encourage more companies to use us for their supply of Fairtrade/Fair Trade sugar.
We partnered with Fair Business Alliance Ltd, a Scottish Social Enterprise, to import the first FLO certified plantain crisps from Ecuador to the UK. This product recently received a Great Taste Award and is now exported to Sweden and Malta.
We practice a business model that demonstrates, through its business, campaigning and advocacy activities, that Fair Trade is not about charity but is a partnership for change and development, through trade.