Traidcraft

Joe Osman has been described as a Fair Trade specialist, with over 40 years' experience, joining Traidcraft in the early 1980s and playing a central role in the company. Having left Traidcraft in 2019 he decided to chart the history and legacy of this unique organisation. Joe operated at a senior level within Traidcraft for many years, including more than 12 years as a director, and has represented Traidcraft on numerous occasions throughout the UK and beyond.

Foreword by Dr John Sentamu, former Archbishop of York
Introduction 9

Part One: The Early Years
Chapter 1 Beginnings  14
Chapter 2 Yet More Beginnings 20
Chapter 3 Becoming Established 31
Chapter 4 Handicrafts and More 37



Part Two: Into the 1990s
Chapter 5 A Hard Act to Follow 48
Chapter 6 A New Way of Working Overseas 52
Chapter 7 New Partnerships in the UK 60
Chapter 8 Not Just Fair Trade 65
Chapter 9 Hard Times and Big Changes 71



Part Three: A New Millennium
Chapter 10 New Leadership, New Approach 82
Chapter 11 Growth and Influence 91



Part Four: Part of a Global Movement
Chapter 12 Early Years 104
Chapter 13 Fairtrade Labelling 109
Chapter 14 Working with EFTA 118
Chapter 15 Membership of WFTO and Other Collaborations 122



Part Five: Innovation – A History of Fair Trade “Firsts”
Chapter 16 A Fair Brew 130
Chapter 17 A Coffee Legacy That Never Seemed to be Forgotten 144
Chapter 18 Sweet Justice: a Sugar Journey 149
Chapter 19 Cocoa and Chocolate 157
Chapter 20 Not Such a Dirty Oil 165



Part Six: Traidcraft and Supermarkets
Chapter 21 Engaging with the Big Players 172
Chapter 22 A Natural Ally: The Co-op 180



Part Seven: Christian Roots and Mission
Chapter 23 A Christian Organization? 190
Chapter 24 A Christian Response to Poverty 204

Part Eight: Traidcraft’s Most Recent History
Chapter 25 Not Such a Flourishing Business  216
Chapter 26 One Traidcraft?  220
Chapter 27 Averting Disaster and a New Hope?  226
Chapter 28 Reflections on a Forty-Year Journey 235



Epilogue: A Personal Reflection by Richard Adams 248
Appendix 1: Traidcraft’s Objectives 253
Appendix 2: Traidcraft website blog post, 2015 260
Appendix 3: WFTO: Ten Principles of Fair Trade 263
Appendix 4: Timeline 269