How Traidcraft is pioneering
Traidcraft is committed to working in new and innovative ways. We have been working in the fair trade area since 1979 and have been influential in changing the way other businesses work.
- We set up Shared Interest (a co-operative lending society offering ethical investment in fair trade with the developing world).
- We worked with partners to set up the Fairtrade Foundation.
- We worked with partners (Oxfam, Twin Trading and Equal Exchange) to set up Cafédirect. Cafédirect was the first Fairtrade product to hit supermarket shelves.
- We were the first plc to carry out fully audited Social Accounts (in 1993).
- We were the first to offer a fair trade wine in the UK. Fairtrade wine would not be in supermarkets today if Traidcraft had not worked with the Fairtrade Foundation and FLO to make it possible.
- We developed Fairtrade cotton through our "In the Cotton Fields Project" with Agrocel. There is now a Fairtrade Mark available for cotton and Marks & Spencer are sourcing direct from Agrocel.
- We were the first to develop a Fairtrade composite food product: Geobar.
- The Just Pensions project was the first of its kind – to work direct with investors on pension funds.
- Ours was the first policy team to specialise in fair trade.
- We were the first to spot the threat of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), which are free trade agreements that force developing countries to open up their markets to EU imports. These have now been debated in Parliament and are on the agenda of many development organisations. Visit the policy section for more information about EPAs.
- We have worked with Marks and Spencer to introduce a range of fair trade cards to their stores.
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