Annual Review OF IMPACT & PERFORMANCE 2015-16

Traidcraft has been at the forefront of the movement for over 35 years. We sell a wide range of the best fairly traded products, run life-changing development projects and campaign hard to bring about .

This report demonstrates our commitment to transparency and being held accountable for the impact of our activities. It is our hope that readers will increasingly be inspired to show they care about fighting poverty by buying, giving and campaigning in partnership with us.

traidcraft.org.uk1 which could adversely affect the future level of our charitable development WELCOME activity. We are pleased to present our latest During the year we sought to recruit a annual report, which tells the stories new Chief Executive to lead Traidcraft of changed lives and demonstrates into the next phase of its mission. We’re our commitment to transparent social pleased to say that the recruitment accounting and reporting. This year, process is now complete. In October we’ve combined all our different annual, 2016 Robin Roth will join Traidcraft, Traidcraft development and impact reports into one following an extremely successful period document1 , to allow people to see how as Co-Managing Director at German we’re doing in the context of our whole organisation GEPA, the largest dedicated mission. Fair Trade company in the world. Having led us through this period in an interim Our impact is spread over many different capacity, Andy Biggs will then take up Traidcraft Traidcraft areas as we fight for poverty reduction, the responsibility of Chief Operating gender equality, decent work, fairer Officer, as we head into the next stage of PLC Exchange trading laws and more besides. Many our journey. of our priorities, such as protecting Traidcraft works through two closely-linked entities, the environment, are captured within This Annual Report details what has been sharing the same values and mission. Senior Fairtrade standards but in each case we an encouraging year – and what we hope management and certain other staff roles work seek to go above and beyond what is is the first of many more to come. across the trading company Traidcraft plc and the simply required – and instead ask how Please read on and learn more charity Traidcraft Exchange. The two organisations much impact can we possibly achieve. about our work. have the same non-executive directors/trustees. The past year has been one of challenge Alongside our trading activities, our commitment to at Traidcraft, as we sought to improve seeking positive change in the policies and practice trading profitabilty in Traidcraft PLC of trade and in working directly in international whilst staying true to our principles. development programmes makes us more effective. We’re pleased to report that during the We have a wide supporter base which means that year we have made much progress and Traidcraft is much more than just a company and have successfully started the journey charity – we represent a movement of people that back to sustainable profitability for our seeks to change the world. trading activities. We are grateful for This Annual report represents a summary of the the support and passion of the entire entire work of Traidcraft during 2015-16. Separate supporter network. audited financial statements for each of the entities We have also been able to maintain our are also produced and are available to download level of development programme impact from our website. in terms of beneficiaries being above target and in building momentum for our policy and campaigns work. However, Andy we do note that there is a challenging Biggs, Ram institutional fundraising environment Chief Gidoomal, Executive Chair

1 The Development Review section within this report is produced as a separate printed document and distributed to donors, but as part of our commitment to the environment, the complete document is 2 only distributed electronically. 3 1. FINANCIAL SUMMARIES & IMPACT INDICATORS CONTENTS 1. FINANCIAL SUMMARIES AND IMPACT INDICATORS5 FINANCIAL SUMMARY – TRAIDCRAFT PLC Financial summary – Traidcraft plc 5 The most important thing for Traidcraft Traidcraft PLC financial numbers (£000’s) Financial summary – Traidcraft Exchange 6 PLC’s 2015/16 financial year was to Impact Indicators 7 reverse the trend of losses and create 2016 2015 a platform for future trading profit. The 2. HEADLINES & HIGHLIGHTS 9 good news is – we did it! Turnover 11,302 11,683 Cost of sales (6,630) (7,159) 3. REVIEW OF TRADING IMPACT 12 Although headline sales fell by 3.4%, we generated a trading profit of £83,000, Gross Profit 4,672 4,524 4. DEVELOPMENT REVIEW 19 which represents a significant turnaround Distribution & other (4,589) (4,726) from the prior year’s equivalent loss of costs 5. OTHER MEASURES OF IMPACT 36 £202,000. Trading profit/(loss) 83 (202) Environmental impact 36 Cash generation was also a positive story, Depreciation (72) (77) Mobilisation of UK supporters 40 with a £209,000 net inflow. Rent from investment 74 72 Staff 44 Published loss before tax was below the property previous year, but this only arose because Costs for closed defined (81) (33) of adjustments relating to financial benefit pension scheme instruments – the forward exchange Operating Profit/(Loss) 4 (240) contracts that we hold to hedge against future period cashflows. Under new UK Interest, including (150) 9 actuarial pension accounting rules we are forced to reflect adjustment the fair value of these instruments and restate prior periods, even though they Fair value (loss)/gain (131) 371 on foreign exchange do not form part of trading income until a contracts future period when the contract matures. Net (Loss) / profit for (277) 140 The increase in underlying performance the year before tax was achieved by a combination of initiatives. Commercial activities and of our branded finished grocery products. marketing were focused around the In parallel, costs were controlled tightly most profitable channels of Fair Trader and working capital management was resellers, online, mail order and wholesale improved, resulting in stock being craft. A summer 2015 ‘call to action’ to reduced by 27% over prior year end. our supporter base was followed up in autumn/winter with a “Show You Care” It is obviously not ideal for our valued marketing campaign. Turnover in these producers and suppliers to be selling channels held steady and profitability less to us, however, in the short term this increased. The net reduction in total has been necessary in order to create a turnover arose from reductions in stable and sustainable trading model for bulk food sold through to wholesaler Traidcraft to build from in the future. customers and then to the manufacturers

4 5 FINANCIAL SUMMARY – TRAIDCRAFT EXCHANGE IMPACT INDICATORS A summary of performance against our principal Traidcraft Exchange financial numbers (£000’s) quantifiable impact objectives is shown below.

2016 2015

Donations 1,122 1,364 Beneficiary numbers are tracking Beneficiary Numbers above target – well over half a Legacies 66 127 million people are benefiting Grant Drawdowns/other income 1,790 1,882 13/14 532,000 from our development work! Total Income 2,978 3,373 Last year’s total was higher because our work was at a Fundraising & governance 494 618 14/15 678,400 expenditure stage where several large- scale projects (for example Programme expenditure 2,461 2,657 15/16 558,800 with smallholder farmers in Total Expenditure 2,955 3,275 and across the Net (outgoings)/resources 23 98 Target South Asian jute sector) were Pension and exchange rate (12) (138) 500,000 drawing to a close. movements Net (deficit)/Surplus for the year 11 40 Unrestricted reserves 823 731 We are now in a stage of the Charitable Spend (£ millions) cycle where newer projects The results for the financial year were The reported number of beneficiaries are just beginning. The 13/14 2.8 pleasing, considering we were following in reached in 2015/16 through our current decreased spend here, while the footsteps of our biggest appeal ever projects is 558,859, exceeding the annual slightly below our target in late 2014/15. Although income from the target of 500,000. of 2.6 million, represents 14/15 2.7 effective use of deployed public dropped as expected, we still made Unfortunately, we only secured one new funds, in line with our a small surplus for the year. This was due project during the year as the majority of expectations for the year. 15/16 2.5 to careful spending on our fundraising our main big donors went into a period activities and other efficiencies. Several of strategic review. This also meant that new projects started during the financial we were not able to submit as many year and good progress was made on proposals as usual. We are continuously existing projects to ensure that they looking to diversify our funding sources We aim to raise £2.5 million from large grants remain on track to deliver positive New Grants and now have better structures in place to each year. This year the landscape has been outcomes. The reserves therefore remain raise money in this country and overseas. Raised tough, with all historic major donors (DfID, in a healthy position at the end of the EC, Comic Relief and Big Lottery) in a period year. (£ millions) 2.5 of review as to the scope and frequency of funding. We’re already seeing positive signs for 0.8 next year and also searching to diversify how we raise money to become less dependent on Target Actual our traditional funding streams.

6 7 Value of purchases from producers (£millions) A deliberate policy of destocking 2. HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS 13/14 3.6 has been necessary to preserve We’ve had such a busy and exciting year at Traidcraft – one that has placed us on a cash reserves after the poor much more secure financial footing and had a positive impact on farmers and artisans 14/15 3.4 trading result in 2014/15. We’re still in developing countries. Here are some of the highlights… delighted to have injected nearly £3 million into our producers’ 15/16 2.9 businesses. Swazi Stories To help bolster the campaign, we recognised the need to gather high OU quality and engaging story content, The policy of destocking has meant Y Proportion of purchases from A/B producers giving our staff and supporters the a change in mix of purchases. This SHOW materials they need to take our has led, in the short term, to the Crafts Commodities messaging out to the biggest possible proportion of purchases from core care Target Target audience. Our Head of Communications and long term producer partners 80% Roderick Stuart, together with Direct 80% falling below target. There has been Marketing Manager Joanne Wallis, no policy change. We aim to buy travelled to Swaziland in southern Africa the majority of our goods from the Show You Care in July 2015, home to our valued trading 78% 73% producers who need our help most – ‘Show You Care’ was the biggest and partners Black Mamba, Swazi Candles our category A and B producers. most ambitious sales and marketing and Baobab Batik. These companies campaign we’ve ever undertaken, such are awe-inspiring! Swaziland, although Supporters was the need to focus strongly on beautiful, grapples with an awful and reversing the decline in sales we’ve sadly heartbreaking problem – it has the Number of supporters Supporters with multiple connections seen in recent years. Launched in the world’s highest rate of HIV and Aids with (eg. buy products and donate to charity) autumn of last year, it quickly generated an estimated 26 percent of the adult enthusiasm with the whole of Traidcraft population infected. The virus touches 13/14 80,000 13/14 20,000 and our army of supporters all over the more or less every family in some way – UK rallying behind it – the response was either people are infected themselves, or amazing! Our message, promoted at they know someone who is. 14/15 81,900 14/15 20,900 roadshows, events, digital channels and traditional media, was simple – not only Rod and Jo visited the famous ‘chilli grandmas’, an inspiring group of 15/16 72,300 15/16 22,100 do we offer high quality products and the widest range of fair trade products grandparents growing many of the chillis The marketing and communication order recruitment activity but these in the UK, but buying from Traidcraft strategy for 2015-16 was focused on new mail order customers tend to be also transforms the lives of so many deepening engagement and increasing shorter term ad hoc purchasers so the people in some of the poorest and most the sales, gifts and campaigning with overall decrease is not an area of great challenging countries on the planet. our existing supporter base, through a concern. Encouragingly our numbers of The campaign grabbed everyone’s call to action and the ‘Show You Care” supporters with multiple connections imagination. Sales in the key pre- campaign. This proved successful and increased as a result of more people Christmas period rose by ten percent on we saw an increase in average order who are involved in multiple ways as the same period the year before which, values and Autumn sales. We did customers, donors and campaigners. when you look at how other retailers see a decrease in overall supporter faired in an extremely competitive numbers as a result of doing less mail marketplace, was wonderful. A huge thank you is due to our supporters. 8 9 ending up in Black Mamba’s tasty and has farmed his paddy fields for many and hugely popular sauces. These Myanmar years. With tears in his eyes, he talks women are the principle wage We also travelled to Myanmar, a country about the burden of responsibility he earners at home, and their stories enjoying democratic freedom for the feels for providing for his daughters and are incredible. Their own children first time in many years. We are working his fears for the future have gone – known as the missing extremely closely with two isolated “I am concerned for my children, generation – either in the search of communities to help them apply for fair especially their basic needs and health. employment or they’ve succumbed trade certification to start exporting their Looking to the future it is like they are to HIV/Aids. This has left the group rice across the world, including to the walking down a dark road because they bringing up their grandchildren, UK. Myanmar, formerly Burma, was once are not educated.” His desperation to doing the very best to care for them one of the world’s biggest exporters of earn more money to care for his family is with little or no other family support. Let It Grow rice – its rice is famous for its high quality. heartbreaking, but with Traidcraft’s help They work every day, often in But after half a century of military and he is beginning to feel optimistic. tremendous heat, cultivating their Following on from ‘Show You Care’, in January communist rule, exports dwindled and small bit of land, and thanks to Black 2016 we launched our ‘Let It Grow’ campaign the farmers have suffered as a result – Mamba have been given the skills that, like Fair Necessities the year previously, but things are changing for the better! to grow high quality and organic was our significant fundraising appeal for While the farmers go through the produce, much of which they sell the year. But unlike Fair Necessities, we were certification process, we have helped to Black Mamba for a fair price. It’s sadly unsuccessful in winning aid match fund the building of new storage facilities ICE matters thanks to this that the grandmas can funding from the Department for International and rice mills in their villages, giving them UST feed themselves and their young Development. Undeterred, we pressed on and greater control over their crop and when J families. once again we must thank our supporters they wish to sell – they can now store the across the UK who really got behind it, using rice until moments when market prices Ntombi Ndlovu is one of the every opportunity to help us raise cash. chilli grandmas and refuses to be are high, allowing them to realise greater pessimistic about the future. She was a massive success profits. Previously, with nowhere to store says: “The children are a blessing to with Big Brews raising sizable amounts of it, all farmers sold their rice immediately me. It’s only God who helps me be money for us. I am excited to say that we once it was harvested – so the prices they good in caring for them. They are exceeded the total target of £500,000 set obtained were low. always happy, even when we don’t when we started and at the time of writing Ultimately, we hope to see some of their Justice have enough food. But the little I this, the money is still coming in! Again, we rice in our products, such as GeoBar! So Matters have got I have to prepare for them. chose to gather some inspiring video case watch this space. studies to help promote the campaign. This In June this year, with ‘Let It Grow’ Keep buying our products because Saw Franco is one of the many farmers by buying from Black Mamba, Black time, we visited our organic cotton growing coming to an end we launched our projects in eastern , one of the poorest in Myanmar that we are working with. ‘Justice Matters’ campaign, a renewed Mamba is buying from us and we are He cares for his wife and two daughters, able to feed our family and the ones regions in the world, taking with us the appeal for UK companies to be held who are sick can get support.” Head Gardner from the Alnwick Garden, legally accountable for their actions Trevor Jones. Our new partnership with the abroad. We’ve been asking for as many Claudia Castellanos Roques, founder Garden was an exciting one! In case you don’t people as possible to support our of Black Mamba, adds: “They’re know, the Garden is one of the UK’s leading petition for the British government to amazing. They are the ones raising contemporary gardens and a big visitor ensure companies based in this country the country and raising their attraction. Trevor was keen to visit some who cause harm elsewhere to be liable communities. They are raising their of our cotton projects, where farmers are to prosecution. At Traidcraft, we hear kids, they are paying for their school being taught basic farming skills to improve alarming stories of people being injured fees. If you speak to them they seem the quality of the crop they grow. In return, or worse due to the actions of big almost grateful, but that’s not the and once back in the UK, he and the Garden business intent in pursuing profit – often point. We are grateful.” helped publicise our appeal to whole new at the expense of lives. It’s awful – but it’s audience. in our power to do something about it.

10 11 3. REVIEW OF TRADING IMPACT Regional breakdown of sourcing Traidcraft has two key goals relating to direct impact on beneficiaries: Volumes of purchases around the world…

• Improved and sustainable incomes for poor people; South East • Greater dignity and opportunity for poor people. Asia This year: £143k We seek to achieve these goals both through the trading Last year: £182k and producer support activities of Traidcraft plc. Latin America This year: £746k Last year: £891k Developing world purchases and advances to producers Value of PLC purchases from producers (£millions) Target Africa This year: £125k This year: £753k 2013/14 Actual Last year: £136k Actual 3.6 Last year: £998k 2014/15 Actual 3.4 These reductions from the previous year holding. The above average reduction reflect the overall reduction of purchases from Africa represents considerably less 3.1 in line with our need to reduce stock purchases of South African raisins. 2015/16 Actual 2.9 Interest-free advances to suppliers The actual value of purchases in the trading conditions of 2014/15. However, Unlike many commercial Fairtrade Total advances made (£’000) twelve month period 2015/16 amounted our sales of bulk foods were below licensees, Traidcraft is committed to making interest-free and 2013/14 to £2.9 million, which was 16% down on budget and as a result we had to keep 2014/15 2015/16 last year. purchases to a sustainable level, bearing unsecured advances to producers 611 in mind the potential for shelf life issues. where these are required, although 473 435 Although we had to balance the need to we also encourage producers maintain purchases through long term This particularly affected honey and vine fruit purchases. Crafts purchases actually to become less dependent on (2015: £209,000). The average value of relationships with producers we expected this over time so they become more the overall value of purchases in 2015/16 increased by 3%, with an increase in the advances outstanding during the year sell through to Fair Trader and online/mail commercially sustainable. This can be was £162,000. This represents a cost to decline as we planned to manage essential, as many small-scale producers stock down in response to the difficult order customers in the Autumn range. of lost interest income to Traidcraft of cannot otherwise access credit facilities. approximately £2,000 at current deposit Traidcraft also chooses to make account interest rates. We estimate that payments through (a fair the value of these interest-free advances trade financial institution which supports compared to commercial advances that many fair trade transactions) so that our producers would otherwise have had producers are also able to borrow further to raise (if available at all) would be in funds against the security of our orders. the region of £26,000, given that many At 31 March 2016 the total value of would have to borrow at rates of 16% per advances outstanding was £358,000 annum or higher.

12 13 Supplier Classification (‘ABC model’) We categorise our partners into three different groups based on their We aim to maximise our purchases from suppliers categorised as A and perceived level of disadvantage and as a focus for our support and B and the levels achieved for developing world purchases which arrived development activities. Here’s how it works: during the 2014/15 year are as follows:

A: Support and Development Partners • There will be a mission fit, with potential to have Craft Purchases greatest impact on the poor and most disadvantaged. Category A B C • They will supply products that have good potential for Traidcraft to sell in the medium to long term 15/16 5% 73% 22% • There will be potential for the establishment of long term sustainable businesses Category A B C • The partnership will be medium to long term and with a clear commitment to trade regularly and with consistent orders. 14/15 5% 77% 18% • Support and development will be at the heart of the relationship with needs based inputs and formalised plans and agreements, and resourced accordingly. • Impact assessment will be built into the partnership. Commodity Purchases • Will be a key focus of product messaging Category A B C 15/16 51% 22% 27% B: Trading Partners • There will be a mission fit, with potential to have greatest impact Category A B C on the poor and most disadvantaged. • They will supply products that have good potential for Traidcraft to sell 14/15 54% 27% 19% • The partnership will be medium to long term and with a clear commitment to trade regularly, with consistent orders and with formal agreements especially for smaller scale suppliers The total aggregate A and B percentages reduced in 2015/16 to 78% for craft and 73% for commodities – below our target of 80%. This occurred because • The organisation will be stronger and more competent in business of the destocking exercise in the year and does not represent any shift in activities so support and development will be less important, although purchasing policy. may be offered when the need arises • Will continue to be a key focus of product messaging Producer Support Activities C: Occasional Suppliers Our Producer Support Programme provides assistance toward suppliers • There will be a mission fit in the sense that the supplier will be categorized as A or B. Over the year 2015/16 this programme contained affiliated with or certified by appropriate bodies e.g. FLO, numerous projects of varying size, scale and focus across multiple product WFTO, other Fair Trade Organisations categories and geographical locations. Some of these projects are set out • They will supply products that Traidcraft can sell but there would below. Further details of some of these projects has been included in the be no long term commitment to trade or regular orders. development review section of this report, which is also distributed to • There would be no focus for support and development nor donors as a separate report. would there be clear messaging linked to products 14 15 Name of Country Project Details Supplier Feedback Supplier We request feedback from suppliers with whom we trade directly against Projects which assist producers to organise standards where we have a direct impact. Our suppliers were asked to First Light Supporting the development of organisations for evaluate Traidcraft against 9 (for commodity purchases) or 10 (for craft rubber farmers purchases) statements or indicators and asked to rate as follows: Projects which provide Technical Assistance If you completely disagree with the statement and you feel that we will Kisac Review and develop quality control and assurance never change, you should check the box under this symbol processes If you mostly disagree with the statement and you feel that we have a Holyland Coop Palestine Review and develop quality control and assurance lot to put right, you should check the box under this symbol processes If you mainly agree with the statement but you feel that we have some CIPAC Guatemala Second year of providing financing for coffee small improvements still to do, you should check the box under this farmers to protect their crop against coffee rust – a symbol fungal infection which has affected many coffee If you think that the statement is completely correct and we have bushes throughout Latin America nothing left to improve then please check the box under this symbol. Projects with an environmental focus

Anapqui Bolivia Contribution to a project to improve the We received feedback from 21 suppliers (down by two on the previous sustainability of quinoa production year) together with additional comments and the overall results for Y Development Thailand Development of a project to assist Y Dev to 209 indicators was as follows: share good environmental practices with local communities 2015/16 2014/15 Projects which assist in marketing, product and business development Kisac Kenya Supporting product development and marketing 0.5% 0.0% activities 2.9% 1.4% Shapii Assistance in the development of a marketing plan for new and innovative handmade paper products 14.8% 17.1% GPI Nepal Continued marketing support for a new range of felt products 81.3% 79.2% Saidpur Bangladesh Support in product development No reply 0.5% 2.3% Enterprises In addition the Producer support Programme chose to allocate funding to support two producer groups as they responded to their artisans needs following natural Whilst we are satisfied with the positive feedback which is consistent disasters with previous years, we note an increase in ‘amber’ ratings which will be disseminated and reviewed internally. We also note our first ‘red’ rating Asha India Contribution to relief work in Srinagar following 2014 which requires us to have a face to face meeting with the producer flooding concerned. GPI Nepal Support to help with rebuilding of workers homes after the devastating earthquake of April 2015

Some highlights from these projects are shown on pages 34 and 35.

16 17 Innovation programme Our Producer Support and Innovation products. This includes commodities or Programme not only develops and sectors not only new to Traidcraft but in implements support projects for a some cases new to fair trade. number of our suppliers, it also actively We did not start any new innovation DEVELOPMENT seeks to develop new supply chains projects in the year but continued to for existing or new commodities and work on activities reported last year. Review Palm Oil We continue to look at ways to integrate Producer Brands our fair trade palm oil into Initiatives where other product sectors to producers earn more of the value of the 2016 build on the development of our Clean and Fair range finished product by and cookies. During the year developing their own we looked at the technical packaging, processing and marketing OUR VISION – a world issues linked to using palm are increasingly important to us. We oil in candle wax. continued to promote a range of brands freed from the scandal from Kenya, Swaziland and South Africa. of poverty where trade is just and people and communities can flourish

– to OUR MISSION Rice We continued to Fruit Juice We continued our work fight poverty through work on a new fairtrade on developing a new fruit juice supply trade, practising and rice supply chain out of chain out of West Africa with a view Myanmar (Burma) with to developing a new range of drinks promoting approaches the continued support in the future. Our focus is particularly to trade that help poor from the Fairtrade on Senegal and we were successful people in developing Foundation. in gaining funding to develop this countries transform project over the next four years. their lives

Bamboo We continued to explore supply chains linked to bamboo products from China with an ambition to develop bamboo as a new Fair Trade commodity. However, this project is developing more slowly than hoped for.

18 traidcraft.org.uk19 TRAIDCRAFT AROUND THE WORLD Our different areas of work across the globe

“When I was standing at the edge of my life, Traidcraft came into our lives like a light. It brought hope for us and I was ready to take the chance.” “When I have more money EUROPEMohammad Bangladesh I can feed my family and , send them to school. This ASIA is what matters, Tanzania to me.” Watende AFRICA

SOUTH AMERICA

Page Page The Catalyst 24 Overseas Programmes 36 Programme Improving livelihoods, building Testing new project areas skills and raising incomes in and ideas through research South Asia and Africa. and field work, helping us to design and launch the best Page Producer Support possible projects. 34 Page Helping our suppliers to Policy & Campaigns become self-sufficient, 39 sustainable and profitable Promoting Traidcraft’s values social enterprises that of justice and fairness with strengthen their communities. decision makers in governments and businesses.

20 21 No Poverty To eradicate extreme poverty for all people and reduce poverty by half is central to Traidcraft’s mission – to fight poverty through trade. We will continue to support small scale farmers and producers as they reduce poverty in their communities around the globe. LEAVE NO Zero Hunger To end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture, ONE BEHIND we will promote resilient agricultural In 2015, the member practices that increase productivity states of the UN came help maintain ecosystems and together to agree provide sustainable livelihoods for poor farmers. goals and a plan of action to end poverty Gender Equality To achieve by 2030. The ‘leave no gender equality and empower all one behind’ concept women and girls we will make it a is transformational, priority to empower female farmers to ensure that no and artisans, ensure they get equal person – regardless of ethnicity, gender, access to training and markets, earn geography, disability, a fair wage and diversify their income. race or other status – is denied universal Decent Work and Economic human rights and basic economic opportunities. Growth To promote inclusive The 17 Sustainable and sustainable economic growth, Development Goals employment and decent work for cover issues such as all. Traidcraft will support productive poverty, inequality, activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, gender equality, health, creativity and innovation, and encourage the education, and climate formalisation and growth of micro, small and change. Traidcraft will medium sized enterprises, including through focus on the goals most access to financial services. closely related to its mission - goals 1, 2, 5, 8 and 12. See opposite Responsible Consumption page. and Production To ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns we will link consumers and producers through fair trade networks, ensuring that farmers are paid fair prices and have the resources to invest in sustainable farming practices. 22 23 We get better THE SMALL TEA GROWERS respect and are listened to more OF SOUTH ASIA carefully when Our EqualiTEA project is extremely wide reaching. Together with we visit tea local partners (Centre for Education and Communication, India factories now. and Bikash, Bangladesh) we’re supporting small tea growers in Indian tea grower five states in India – and even stretching across into Northern Bangladesh. This five year project has recently come to an end and even at this early stage of evaluation, we are starting to see some really significant results. Here are some of the highlights… Scale with the Tea Board of India. The The project has had a Group project has been instrumental in major impact on India’s formation getting the needs of small tea tea sector as a whole – A tea grower growers on the national agenda. as shown by these statistics… working alone on a small plot of land has little to 25% of the £ Incomes estimated no bargaining power. But the £ Our external 25% £ small tea EqualiTEA project has supported evaluation estimates growers in 51,700 tea growers to organise that the incomes the whole themselves into groups so that of EqualiTEA tea growers in India of India are they can increase their influence, have risen by an average of 87%, covered by share knowledge and negotiate due to both the project effects this project. the best price for their crops. and a favourable national tea price. While in Bangladesh, project The tea growers participants - who themselves Training participating in More than 10,000 are new to tea growing - have the project are small tea growers experienced an average income 10% responsible for have participated in training increase of more than 200%! more than 10% of on the technical management As a result of small tea growers India’s total tea production. of tea farming, marketing and working in an organised and the organisation of effective It’s brilliant that the people who coordinated way, tea traders have producer groups. grow so much of India’s tea are had to increase the price they pay now working together, receiving for tea to compete in the market better prices and actively place. This benefits all the small Representation improving their farming and Small tea growers tea growers in the area – not just business skills. now maintain a those involved in the project. stronger relationship This project was funded by the .

24 257 THE BEEKEEPERS OF TANZANIA We’ve just come to the end of our BEET project (Beekeepers’ Economic Empowerment, Tanzania) - a three year initiative designed to boost incomes and increase the quality of life for rural beekeepers in Tanzania. The results are really encouraging and behind every statistic lies the stories of families fed, children educated and people working their way out of poverty. Here are some of the key achievements... Making more honey Women in power We More than half the helped our leadership positions in beekeepers beekeeper groups are increase their now held by women 86% production INCREASE and in the beekeeper’s by 86%. association, women fill64% of leadership roles. Making more money The project evaluators noted that Beekeepers have groups led by women typically increased their income perform better than those led by by an average of men. 67% Diversifying incomes... Income generated from Beekeepers have beekeeping has helped me to been encouraged to develop BEE buy school uniform and pay multiple income THE school fees for my children; streams to make BEST my children and those of This has paid for… them more • School fees • Food resilient – investing in things my fellow beekeepers no • Goats and cattle like small shops, fishing, selling longer walk barefooted • Housing clothes, poultry and goat rearing. Rufiji Beekeeper

This project was funded by the UK government and Comic Relief. 26 27 THE WEAVERS OF VARANASI In Varanasi, India, the tradition of handloom weaving runs deep. For generations, these skilled artisans have traded their beautiful For the first time in my life, fabrics and earned money to support their families. I am putting my money and Although this is highly skilled work, the majority of the weavers still creative sensibilities to weave live in poverty – unable to secure an income that reflects the expert craftsmanship involved in their work. a new design. I believe that Two years ago we started a project with local partner, the All India this is a new beginning to my Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association, aiming to help life as a weaver. maximise the earning potential of the Varanasi Weavers. Here are some of the key achievements… Gopal Pal, Handloom Weaver Training leads to trust A place to belong Weavers have been The weavers now provided with training on have a strong key topics such as design group identity. skills, marketing, how to The project strengthen their weavers’ groups helped to set up the Varanasi and how to access government Weavers’ Hub – a community schemes and benefits. organisation that will support This has started a culture of the revival, protection and information sharing where training continuation of Varanasi and knowledge passes through the weavers’ heritage. It will help groups. As well as building skills it weavers to create new designs has helped to create an atmosphere and increase the sales of their of togetherness and trust among beautiful products. the weavers. The plan is to make this hub partially owned by the weavers A brighter financial future themselves – allowing them to The weavers we take control of their future and surveyed, who took become part of a strong and part in multiple project influential organisation. 25-30% activities, have reported INCOME income increases INCREASE between 25-30% in just two years - great news for families struggling to afford food, education and healthcare. This project is supported by PACS Programme.

28 29 Trust & Communication in the Supply Chain As well as working directly with farmers in Casamance THE FOREST FRUIT We are the big we’re also working with local fruit processing businesses to losers. The price strengthen their operations and help them access new markets. FARMERS OF SENEGAL is very high in This is how it’ll work in practice… There is good news for farmers in the Casamance region of Senegal: demand for the cities but we their indigenous forest fruits is growing don’t receive much rapidly and represents a real opportunity to of that. reduce poverty in the area. Casamance Farmer The bad news, however, is that unorganised supply chains, poor communication and unsustainable forestry practices mean it’s Were supporting Were supporting almost impossible for these farmers to take farmers’ to... businesses’ to... advantage of this opportunity. • Organise themselves into • Work with industry experts The region, although brilliantly fertile, is village level groups. who can support them to improve their fruit processing quite remote – separated from the capital Get training on • and meet the needs of new by the formidable Gambia River and many agro-forestry practices. miles. It’s also an area that is just starting to export markets. Develop solutions to issues recover from decades of conflict. • Achieve Fairtrade with transport and storage • certification. Working in partnership with two local of harvested fruit. enterprises, Zena Exotic Fruits and Baobab des Saveurs, we launched our Juicing Justice project to help 2,200 farmers in So they So they the Casamance region make more of their can... can... valuable forest fruit crops - through getting them involved in a new fair trade fruit juice supply chain. We’re investing in their skills and strategies to help them move towards a future where the forest fruits supply chain • Work together to address rewards all its players fairly. problems & to access services • Create new product ranges, improve productivity and • Manage forests sustainably enhance product quality. so farmers can continue to This project is funded Access high value markets by Comic Relief harvest from the forest for • years to come. and continue to invest and support their suppliers, • Reduce the volume of wasted the small scale farmers. and rejected fruits.

We’re also facilitating twice yearly meetings where farmers, traders and local business can come together, discuss problems and work together to find win-win solutions. This builds trust and communication within the supply chain and helps to ensure 30 the long term sustainability of this work. 31 Surya Pradham is more setting up the Basumati Self COTTON FARMERS OF ODISHA commonly known as Surya’s Help Group, Surya and like- Traidcraft and its local partners, the Forum for ‘Badimaa’ which means minded women pooled their Integrated Development and Chetna Organic ‘elder mother’ – a sign of Story resources and cut out the Farmers Association, are working together to the respect and affection need for the exploitative money improve the livelihoods and wellbeing of 4,000 people in her community hold lenders who they used to rely on. small-scale cotton farming households in two for her. Having raised two sons Over the years, Surya has been a districts of Odisha, India. as a single parent, Surya knows all too mentor to many similar groups and We’re doing this by focussing on four things… well the difficulties of earning a living now aged 65 she shows no sign as a woman in India… of slowing down. She’s working 1. Empowering women “From the drudgery of household with Traidcraft and Chetna Organic We’re ensuring women benefit from work to the back breaking labour to help cotton farmers fulfil their increased access to information, in the field… women in India are income-earning potential. We’re technology and income generating not given due recognition for their proud to partner with people opportunities so that they can take strides efforts.” like Surya to ensure her skills, towards equality. But Surya has prospered working with knowledge and passion for women’s Traidcraft’s partner Chetna Organic, empowerment is passed on to the 2. Skills building harnessing the collective power next generation. We’re helping small-scale cotton of women in her community. After farming families to get the agricultural knowledge and skills to sustainably produce better quality, more appropriate crops at a lower cost. 3. Resources We’re helping farmers to gain improved access to appropriate and affordable inputs and services from public and private service providers. 4. Organisation We’re investing in building stronger groups of farmers so they can access services and markets, share knowledge, negotiate better deals and ultimately, achieve increased income from their work. The project’s promotion of sustainable agricultural practices can lead to huge changes in the lives of cotton farmers and their families. Surya is a brilliant example of this…

32 33 PRODUCER SUPPORT & INNOVATION The Producer Support and Innovation Programme exists to help the producers of products that Traidcraft PLC sells in ways that go beyond a simple trading relationship. We do this through two streams…

SUPPORT Resilient coffee bushes and We provide development essential honey equipment support for producer groups – CIPAC is a cooperative of small-holder helping them to improve working INNOVATION farmers in Guatemala – specialising in conditions, develop new We pioneer new fair trade honey and coffee production. In 2014, products and access products and set an example the fungal disease ‘coffee rust’ killed or new markets. to others by showing how badly damaged a significant proportion an ethically-run business can of their coffee plants. Traidcraft provided have a huge positive impact more than 18,000 new coffee bushes, of on the poor and marginalised. Safer workplaces for a stronger Arabica variety than the plants Palestinian artisans lost. Trading conditions don’t get Due to the nature of their land, some much more difficult than CIPAC farmers still have to rely solely those faced by Holy Land on honey production for their incomes. Handicrafts Cooperative The women beekeepers of Tacana, the Small steps towards innovation in Bangladesh Society working in Palestine’s sole bread-winners in their families, were Saidpur Enterprises provides work for handicraft sector. They provided with a mobile honey extraction about 100 women in Bangladesh. They are trying to keep their unit and other essential equipment under specialise in screen-printed bags and traditional handicraft the Producer Support and Innovation handmade greetings cards. This year business alive while there is Programme. This has enabled them to we’ve been helping them to develop their widespread poverty and a improve both the yield and the quality of product range – to consider new items volatile atmosphere. their honey. such as screen printed t-shirts but also to Traidcraft has been assisting develop new products within their existing Holy Land Handicrafts and its range. We’ve also trained the organisation members in vital areas such in how to work with external designers and as quality improvements, brief them clearly. They are now working quality control, safety with a local designer and seeking to compliance, product design improve their marketing. and fair trade. They are now The aim is to help them generate more working in much cleaner, sales revenue from new and improved safer and more productive products, to continue attracting new work places. customers and to provide extra work for the women of Saidpur.

34 35 Our new project, working in Senegal’s juice THE FUTURE OF TRAIDCRAFT… sector, shows just how THE CATALYST influential the Catalyst The Catalyst Programme invests in smaller projects Programme can be… that have the potential to turn into much larger PROGRAMME bodies of work. That means looking at Catalyst Every life-changing activities can give a good indication about what £10, development project starts the future might hold for Traidcraft’s development 500 out as just an idea. In order programmes. of Catalyst to make these ideas into Here are just some of the activities that Catalyst funding was a reality, a good deal of money has been used for… used to research West research and testing needs Africa’s fruit juice sector to happen. and to develop a project The Catalyst Programme Rice in Bangladesh proposal. provides funding so that we We allocated £5,500 to enable This proposal our programme team in can conduct this research was sent to Bangladesh to better understand and design projects that Comic Relief the rice sector and to research transform families, villages where it how we could address and even entire regions. unlocked… This research also helps us challenges faced by small scale unlock large grants from paddy farmers. major donors. £625,000 Honey in Tanzania worth of funding to Almost £6,000 of Catalyst carry out the project. money has been used to develop the second phase of So now… our beekeepers programme, in Tanzania, building on the success 2,200 and the lessons learned from the & their first phase (see page 8-9). farmers families (11,000 people in total) can Horticulture in Kenya benefit from their Working in partnership with increased incomes Farm Concern International, & a better quality of life. Traidcraft used Catalyst funding to run a scoping study to understand the production and marketing issues that influence £1 > £60

productivity, competitiveness, So every pound spent on profitability and income of catalyst research for this horticultural farmers in Meru project, unlocked almost County, Kenya. We hope to use £60 worth of benefit for this research to launch a new phase of our Kenyan smallholder farmers in horticulture work. Senegal! 36 371519 POLICY AND CAMPAIGNS Investment agreements – not just TTIP This year the Transatlantic Trade and Investment This year we’ve made Partnership (TTIP) has hit the headlines, with campaigners some good progress raising concerns about the damage it might cause to in highlighting the Supermarkets – still a problem? Many Traidcraft supporters will remember our success everything from the NHS to the environment. need for British in getting the government to set up a supermarkets’ Traidcraft has focused on TTIP’s less-well-known cousins, companies to be watchdog – or Groceries Code Adjudicator, as it is the UK’s bilateral investment treaties. These all include the held to account if properly known – in 2013. same Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism they abuse or exploit which has raised so much concern in TTIP. people abroad. At the moment the Adjudicator can only investigate We’ve also revisited the relationship between a supermarket and its direct Because of this mechanism, governments are being the problem of suppliers. We want this to be extended to include sued for introducing minimum wage and worker rights supermarkets, and the whole supply chain, allowing the huge number legislation and environmental protection measures. The cases cost on average $8 million to defend and divert raised awareness of indirect suppliers – including many in developing much needed resources away from development, health of damaging trade countries – to have the protection of the regulator. and education spending in developing countries. and investment To achieve this we have been building links with MPs agreements. and a range of like-minded organisations, and we are We have been raising these concerns with UK delighted that the Business Secretary has agreed to parliamentarians and MEPs, and have also produced look at how a stronger regulator might prevent harm materials for African and European campaign groups. to vulnerable parts of the supply chain.

The supermarkets Our focus is now to work with our allies to provide project is funded by evidence that will contribute to the Government’s the European Union review, pushing for more protection for overseas JUSTI farmers selling to the UK market. CE m Justice still matters atte Traidcraft’s Justice campaign is rs highlighting that a few irresponsible British companies are abusing or exploiting people living in developing countries – and getting away with it. With nearly a third of FTSE 100 companies doing business in developing countries this is a vital issue for the British government to address.

There is currently a gap in You can find British law which means out more it’s almost impossible to and sign the prosecute large companies Justice Matters when they cause serious petition at harm abroad. We want the traidcraft.co.uk/ government to update the justicecampaign law to close this gap. (See Felix’s story overleaf).

3839 4039 Case study: Felix 5. OTHER MEASURES OF IMPACT Felix lives in Zambia with his young family - next to one of Africa’s largest copper smelting plants, which is owned by a UK-listed company. His daughter Bertha is seven years old and suffers from breathing problems. These are made worse by the sulphur gas that is released from the plant. This gas is so much a part of their daily lives that the locals have a word for it… ‘senta’.

From when she was a baby, she had breathing problems. If the senta comes when she s at school, she just starts’ coughing. She says ‘I feel my chest – I can’t breathe Dad.’ We tell people, but nothing gets done. There are mine police at the gate – they would not allow you inside to complain so we just complain from the outside. They just take the copper and leave. They do not care about us – I don’t know why they don’t care. Felix ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Traidcraft thinks British This section reports on the environmental to fair trade we prioritise environmental companies which harm impact of Traidcraft’s business operations issues seeking to go above the typical people aboard should be as well as activities to reduce the climate requirements to better help producers prosecuted. Join our call change impacts and vulnerabilities of our protect their natural resources and adapt to climate change. to update the law: producers and project beneficiaries. traidcraft.co.uk/ Fairtrade standards cover key areas In 2015/16 the estimated CO2 footprint justicecampaign for environmental protection including from our business activities was 1100 energy and greenhouse gas emission tonnes, an 8% reduction on the prior year. JUS reduction, soil and water quality, This is largely attributable to reduced TICE pest management and biodiversity food imports and a significant reduction m protection. As part of our commitment in print materials. att ers 40 41 Progress summary and goals Mitigation and adaptation activities with Total carbon 2015/16 goals Progress Comments 2016/17 goals Traidcraft producers and projects Footprint Tonnes of Maintain at Reduced Largely due to reduction in 1100 tonnes or While Traidcraft does not specialise in Myanmar, fair trade rice project: CO2: 1100 1300 tonnes by 8% food ingredients imported less climate change interventions, we always consider the vulnerabilities faced by Training took place at the two village or less by sea and reduction in print farmer organisations to introduce good materials the producers and project beneficiaries we work with. Wherever possible our agricultural practices, including removal Airfreight Maintain Actual Reflects reduction in sea Maximum 3% support and development projects of some hazardous chemicals and below 3% of 3.3% freight, delivery demands of of all imports include mitigation and/or adaptation improved storage and handling of other all imports craft wholesale customers activities to reduce the threats of climate chemical inputs and a blockade in Nepal change. Where appropriate interventions Gas impact Reduce by 5% Increased An old heating system in Reduce by 5% are developed in partnership with Noah’s Ark, India, environmentally by 4% an aged building limits the organisations with expertise in this area. potential for more targeted No new projects were started in 2015/16 friendly facilities: reductions but considerable activity took place with In 2014 Traidcraft provided a grant to the existing initiatives as outlined below. craft supplier Noah’s Ark to support Electricity Reduce by 5% Reduced Should be expected with Reduce by 5% their plans to create a more eco-friendly impact by 5% reduced business activity and comfortable production facility in Waste to Reduce by Reduced 19.4 tonnes of waste went to Reduce by 10% Anapqui, Bolivia, sustainable Moradabad. The project included the landfill 10% by 6% landfill relative to 20.4 in the quinoa project: installation of an effluent treatment plant prior year and solar lighting. The business moved This was the second year of the project into the new space in 2015 and will be Recycling Reduce by 5% Reduced Switch to biodegradable air Maintain at focusing on improving soil quality, monitoring the impact of their more eco- by 38% pillows for void fill reduced similar level benefiting 2000 farming families. In friendly facilities. the use of recycled paper 2015/16, two small nurseries were Sales Reduce by 5% Reduced Reduced catalogue print Maintain extended at the coop, tripling seedling materials by 44% runs, increased use of fliers production and giving farmers access to more resilient and productive quinoa Alternative Livelihood (ALO) Office paper Reduce by Reduced The number of printers has Maintain plants. A new field technician with project, Bangladesh: consumption 10% by 33% been reduced in the last expertise on sustainable and organic This project continues to support over 2 years. May also reflect production was employed to work with 8000 small holder farmers to adopt phasing of paper orders producer groups and llama manure environmentally friendly cultivation Staff air Maintain Increased Much of this increase is due Maintain within composting training was provided. practices, improving their resilience to travel within +/-10% by 11% to considerably more travel +/-10% natural disasters and climate change by TX India and Africa offices threats. To date training has focused on relative to the previous year MiFruta, , soil improving soil ecology, irrigation and – we held a development cropping methods and integrated pest recovery project: management practices. The use of flood conference in the UK in Activities to reduce and drought resistant plants, knowledge November 2015. the carbon footprint of of alternative sowing options and crop Climate Projects As See adaptation section Projects the grape cultivation diversification has enabled the farmers change (CC) consider CC reported for progress with ongoing consider CC continued, reducing to cope with recent erratic rainfalls which threats vulnerabilities below projects vulnerabilities the use of chemical would otherwise have severely impacted and address and address fertilizers and introducing more efficient their crop production. where where irrigation techniques. appropriate appropriate

42 43 Jute: Empowered Women Going Green, India: Mobilisation Of Uk Supporters This project aims to improve the health Ensured Livelihoods (JEWEL)” During the year we continued to Our Autumn season continues to and safety and environmental footprint adopt a holistic approach to our represent the bulk of our customer project, Bangladesh: of 12,500 artisan households in two supporter messaging and calls to facing activities and for this we adopted Jute cultivation has a positive states of India. In 2015/16 the team action, recognising that our supporters a ‘back to basics’ approach to ‘Simplify’ environmental impact, in particular has been researching new crafting engage with Traidcraft in many ways. our customer offer, making it as easy through improving soil quality. This opportunities including eco-friendly Whether individuals connected with as possible for customers to order, project works with over 4000 vulnerable textiles using natural dyes, reduced water Traidcraft through digital, print, face-to- alongside compelling and emotive stories women, training them in jute cultivation and improved effluent management. face contact – or a combination of all from our artisans through social media, and extraction to increase their income ‘Craftmark Green’ standards and of them - we worked hard to present a web content and printed media. We also and reduce environmental hazards. certification processes are also being consistent and positive experience for returned to the larger catalogue format, The project also focuses on wider developed to enhance artisan’s access to our supporters. producing two distinct catalogues during environmentally sustainable income markets for such new products. generating activities including rain water Building on the success of 2014’s the season which saw an improvement fed crop development and homestead Sustainable Farms, Show You Care Campaign and the Fair in response rates on the prior year. This gardening using compost fertilizer and Sustainable Futures, India: Necessities Campaign, we created plans approach was carried forward into Spring organic pesticides. to engage our supporters at specific with the launch of our ‘Let it Grow’ This project is helping 4000 cotton campaign, focusing on leveraging our farmers to switch from conventional moments to compliment our activities. This was spearheaded by our 2015 Show peak fundraising season, alongside our to organic and Fairtrade cotton Fair Trade Fortnight trading activities. cultivation and diversify into organic You Care’ Campaign which successfully food production for the local economy, re-engaged our core supporters. We continued to invest in our digital meeting nutritional needs and reducing channel, supported by engaging video food miles. Women entrepreneurs content and stories which saw further have been supported to set up small improvements in our responses through enterprises to sell organic inputs and O this channel and is proving to be a key cultivate local seeds. Y driver in new customer recruitment. We S  also introduced Paypal as a payment c method on our online shop. Our Alternative ‘Black Friday’ consumer Beekeepers Economic campaign called #justfriday in it’s second EqualiTEA, Bangladesh: year saw even more traction, with other The remote northern parts of Empowerment (BEET), Tanzania: y ou c how are organisations promoting it. During the Bangladesh rely heavily on agriculture BEET trains beneficiaries in S at Ch as Black Friday weekend alone, we reached but are ecologically vulnerable, facing environmental management practices to ristm Traidcraft is launching improve their livelihoods. Key activities The hustle and bustle of the lead-up 1.1 million people through our digital frequent flooding, riverbank erosion to Christmas can be both a blessing Charity Christmas and a burden for many of us. But for Card Week activity, resulting in a record sales this year included training in bee , even those who are 15th-21st November and drought. While the soil composition lots of people , part of a loving church community Why not get your church right weekend. Our digital team went on to husbandry, teaching beekeepers theres no one to share the joy of behind the ‘Show You Care’ is unsuitable for many crops, tea ’ , and they simply campaign and reach out this time of year further this Christmas ? win the Digital & Social Media Award to use eco-friendly smokers can’t help feeling lonely... cultivation is suited to the area and Buy cards at traidcraftshop.co.uk/ during harvesting rather than burning Christmascards at the North East Business improves soil ecology. This project has Christmas cards I shall give this year will be proper cards, a charity Awards. trees, the establishment of tree cards, to show that no-one should ...so when it comes to a Christmas pioneered small holder tea growing feel forgotten at Christmas. greeting, there really is no substitute nurseries and a planting project to for a knock at the door, a friendly Margaret Sentamu in communities otherwise vulnerable chat, and the reminder of the card prevent soil erosion. on the mantelpiece that tells us we to hunger and disease, transforming are remembered, we are loved. The their landscape and lives. To date the 5000 small growers have been trained in crop diversification, sustainable soil SHOW YOU Producers who and water management, integrated pest care make and grow management and nutrient preservation.

44 45 Schools activity Traidcraft has worked hard to provide tailored support for Schools on how to incorporate fair trade within their curriculum, as well as raise funds for their own causes by selling coffee to parents, catalogue sharing, or empowering youth by inspiring students to run their own fair trade tuck shop or larger enterprise. Schools continue to represent around 80% of our Speaker requests, and we have delivered training sessions in Customer service levels Manchester and London to help our During the year we recruited a Customer Speakers talk to schools and encourage Experience Manager to lead this area in them to set up an enterprise scheme or our ongoing commitment to delivering fair trade group. excellence in this area and moving to Engaging with the Christian Faith Community This year we’ve also been extending our a care program that is more than just reach to informal learning, working with Traidcraft’s support comes from engages deeply with the UK church in ‘service’. leaders in the Girl Guiding community individuals, churches, schools, order to help Christians find practical • We were again awarded ‘Gold Trusted to develop a new Challenge Pack which workplaces, shops, community ways of bringing Godly justice into Merchant’ status for achieving encourages youth groups to engage enterprises and commercial situations of poverty in the developing customer satisfaction levels of over their local community with fair trade organisations, but when we dig deeper world. 99% by FEEFO, our independent online by catalogue sharing, holding a stall, into what motivates this support, more We provide worship resources exploring reviews provider. raising awareness in their local area, and often than not we find a volunteer with Biblical reasons for social justice, and a Christian faith behind the scenes • During the year we processed 124,000 fundraising for Traidcraft. providing creative ideas for inspiring promoting Traidcraft’s work and pushing fairer trade. Our ever-popular ‘Fair orders, with 163,000 parcels being for Fair Trade in their community. sent out. We sent out 13,000 more Trader’ scheme allows people, teams, parcels than last year which was driven These people tell us that their Christian organisations as well as collecting orders, by activities to increase customer beliefs call them to put their faith into to act as multipliers and ambassadors for frequency including reduced free action and show neighbourly love to the our work within their communities. delivery threshold for orders, reduced poor overseas. For this reason Traidcraft delivery charge for lower value orders and making parcels lighter any easier for customers to lift. Customer Sales 15/16 % sales Sales Type from faith from faith • Food stock availability was much community* community* improved year on year as we adjusted *Estimates based on our forecasts and stock-holding in Fair Trader 5,184,869 75% 3,888,652 customer research and experience rather than line with increased customer demand Mail Order 2,694,374 40% 1,077,750 in the latter part of the Autumn/ database. Christmas season. Having a separate Fair Trade 1,458,878 50% 729,439 We are also confident that Christmas catalogue also allowed us to Shops a significant portion of our introduce new products and promote Wholesale 1,605,116 5% 80,256 unrestricted donations to products with better availability to Traidcraft Exchange come reduce customer disappointment with Total 10,943,237 5,776.097 from supporters who are out of stocks. motivated by their faith.

46 47 Staff Staff survey Health and safety Our staff are essential to the Promoting high standards of health and achievement of Traidcraft’s mission. Staff survey rating safety is an important dimension of our Treating our staff fairly and with care for staff, project teams and visitors. concern for their well-being and Target Monthly health and safety reports are personal development is important to us. We remain accredited as an Investor in 7 prepared; these are reviewed by the People, Living Wage Employer and Positive about Disabled People. senior management teams and at each board meeting. All accidents were minor Actual Actual Actual in nature. Each accident is reviewed and 200 2013/14 2014/15 7.35 2015/16 changes to procedures are made where 7.05 6.70 143 144 143 137 applicable. Staff 150 Risk assessment procedures are applied numbers 31 35 34 31 In April/May 2016 we carried out our to all travel and international travel and gender 100 Female staff Part-time annual staff survey. Against a challenging 54 51 45 47 has specific requirements, including Female staff Full-time backdrop it was unsurprising that balance at 9 10 10 8 following Foreign Office guidance and 50 Male staff Part-time this showed a slight decline in staff 31 March consulting with local security bodies. 48 48 55 51 satisfaction. 2016 Male staff Full-time During the year a small number of trips 0 The overall satisfaction score was 6.70/ were cancelled or postponed because of 2013 2014 2015 2016 out of 10, and down from the 7.05 of last security concerns in Bangladesh, after year. Whilst we are disappointed that terrorist acts against foreign nationals. this is now below our target level of 7.0, Summary data is shown below: • The percentage of Traidcraft’s UK-based with the need to make changes to secure • Full time equivalent hours (FTE) now staff from ethnic minority backgrounds profitability, uncertainly over future stand at 124.22 (last year 128.48). is 4.5% (6% in 2015). It is our continued leadership and the inability in 2015/16 approach, wherever possible, to employ to increase staff salaries, this is not • Line managers include 18 women and local staff in our overseas offices rather unexpected. 18 men, with an Executive of 3 men and 1 than expatriates: 96% of our overseas woman as at 31 March 2016. staff are nationals of the countries where With a record 95% of staff completing the survey, there is much to hear and respond • Staff turnover was 18.2% overall. Whilst their role is based. to, including: higher than our stated target of 7.5% • Overall levels of sickness absence -15% we are aware that a relatively high have increased to 2.7% of working time • The survey showed that the Staff number of fixed term roles ended during lost (2015: 1.8%), of which some 1.5% Association is well-regarded and there the course of the year (maternity cover or resulted from long term sickness absence is clear scope for a constructive use of project roles). (absence lasting more than 4 weeks). the Staff Association in making change happen. • We work positively to make reasonable Whilst higher than our target of 2.5%, this adjustments to roles, working times and compares favourably to a UK average • Consistency and Fairness with dealings equipment to facilitate the employment level of sickness of 3% (CIPD 2015 with staff is an issue to address. of a number of staff with disabilities. Absence Management Report). • Bullying issues are not prominent – an • The ratio between lowest and highest • There has been a much lower level of improvement from last year. FTE salary at end March 2016 was 1:4.3. funded learning over the course of the • There is a clear mandate for the new With the implementation of the recent year, with only £1959 being spent on a CEO Robin Roth to come in and Living Wage Campaign salary increases small number of specific needs. More make change happen, bringing and from 1st April, the ratio is 1:4.1 generally, we have focused on refreshing encouraging a sales culture and focus, management skills and other identified • The average age of staff is 46 years and visible leadership of Traidcraft Exchange needs through a series of internally average length of service is 12 years. and creating a flatter organisation to delivered learning sessions or individual deal with line management issues. coaching. 48 49 NK Y THA OU... For helping us make trade work for the world’s poorest. This year, Traidcraft and its partners supported 558,900 people – running 18 projects in 11 countries. We’ve helped poor producers and artisans to grow businesses and find markets – whatever sector they work in. We’ve been fighting poverty with... bees, textiles, forest fruits, coffee, horticulture, cotton, tea, jute & handicrafts.

THIS IS MADE ..AND ALL POSSIBLE . BY YO RT UR FANTASTIC SUPPO Picture credits: Kate Holt, GMB Akash, Rajendra Shaw, Richard Else, Alistair Leadbetter, Wiz Baines, Shop for Change Fair Trade, Daniel Apepo, Apicoop, Stephen Morris & Roderick Stuart, meunievd/Shutterstock.