Find out something about the team behind Just Trading Scotland and why they are involved. Click Here
Find products by brand
Why are we working with the Scottish Government?
Click on the flag to find out about Scotland's
links with Malawi
Just Trading Scotland is a Limited Company, set up as a joint venture between The Coach House (Balmore) and Rainbow Turtle Just Trading, two long- established fair trade wholesalers and retailers in the West of Scotland, to facilitate the import and distribution of fairly traded products to the UK. Just Trading Scotland is wholly owned by The Balmore Trust, a charitable trust registered in Scotland(Scottish Charity SC008930).
Our company has its roots in over thirty years engagement with friends and colleagues in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Those working at JTS would point variously to moments when the deep injustices of our world, with it hugely unequal divisions of wealth, power and life-chances, dawned on them: piloting long-haul flights across Asia and Africa, enjoying a global view of the massive differences of styles of living of the world’s peoples, meeting with rice farmers in Malawi, hearing of their almost superhuman efforts to provide a decent life and education for their families We see trade as a vital key to rectifying such injustice. At its best, trade creates international networks of people who work to develop their skills, their resources and their communities; through trade they can work their way out of poverty, develop economically, educationally and politically. But there are many forms of trade which are deeply unfair. For all the talk of a global economy, the vast majority of the world’s peoples have little access to global markets. When they do, it is more often than not on terms which hold them in bondage. We aim to offer our suppliers free and fair access to Western markets. To do that we need to create supply chains from the producers - mostly smallholder farmers and craft workers - via processors and exporters to wholesalers and retailers in the UK which are equitable, non-abusive. In this way, all may share fairly in the creation of common wealth and goods.
How can we assure our customers that our goods are fairly traded? Where possible, we will seek FLO certification for the products we sell: this is the most widely recognised guarantee of fair trade in the north. Where not, we will use social accounting to monitor relations along the supply chain and assure ourselves that they are equitable.
Since 1989 demand for food in Malawi has often outstripped local production. This has been met by government intervention, buying additional food and supplying subsidised fertilizer to increase productivity. When this has failed and there have been poor harvests, then there have been severe shortages, as in 2001-3 and 2004-5. Since then productivity has improved with the greater availability of fertilizers.
Rice is grown principally as a cash crop and is largely sold to the urban middle classes. It is a luxury food mostly enjoyed at special times of year, like Christmas. Small holder farmers typically grow it in addition to the maize and other root crops (sweet potato, cassava) which they grow to feed their family. The income from the rice enables them to improve their buildings, to buy fertilizer and other farm inputs, and tools, as well as to have access to transport and to pay for secondary education for their children. The main solution to Malawi's food problem lies with the small holder farmers who make up 85% of the population. If they can improve production, then the matter will be solved. Farmers need cash to be able to improve their yields.
Organisations like NASFAM provide training, cheaper farm inputs and better access to markets, all of which encourage farmers to cultivate more of their land (25% of the land is not cultivated) and enable them to increase yields.
Our links with The Scottish GovernmentIn building up our trading links with Malawi we are assisted by funding from the Scottish Government through its International Development Fund. Working with Imani Development in Oban we intend to bring in eight new product ranges, foods and crafts, to sell in shops and, in the case of rice, to serve in schools. Our supply of rice to schools is alreading helping to raise the awareness of fair trade matters for young people. Imani will work in Malawi to get fair trade accreditation for our suppliers and to assist with getting the goods out of the country by the cheapest route. This funding will absorb some of the initial costs of importing and marketing and enable us to keep costs down and establish new markets.