About Traidcraft Exchange
As the UK's leading fair trade organisation, Traidcraft Exchange works with more than 100 producer groups in over 30 countries around the world including Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, India, Bangladesh and The Philippines.
What unites every area of Traidcraft's work is its mission to fight poverty through trade.
Traidcraft is an active community of supporters, shareholders, customers, professionals and producers committed to reducing poverty throughout the world. As a Christian organisation, Traidcraft is committed to working with people of all faiths and none in their common fight against poverty.
Traidcraft Exchange helps the poor to trade more effectively by breaking down the barriers that prevent them gaining access to markets. It works with overseas partners to develop producers' business skills and to create the environment needed to help poor producers engage in sustainable trade.
Traidcraft Exchange also works at national and international level advocating changes in trade rules to make them work in the interests of the poor and mobilising public opinion to support fairer trade practices.
Traidcraft is a leading promoter of Corporate Social Responsibility and a pioneer of social accounting, believing that businesses should work in the interests of all stakeholders and in particular should be held accountable for their impact on the poor.
Traidcraft's unique structure, combining a plc trading company that sells the unique range of products made by 'third world' producers, and a linked charity, gives it many opportunities to influence opinion and behaviour in the charitable, business and public sectors.
Bringing together direct experience of trade with recognised developmental expertise, Traidcraft has the professionalism and credibility to be a leading and strategic influence for change.
Our history
Traidcraft has been fighting poverty through trade since 1979, however the registered charity, Traidcraft Exchange, was actually set up in 1981 as a charity geared to raising awareness about the producers and issues of justice in trade and development.
More than 400 voluntary reps now work to promote Traidcraft across the UK.
In 1986 Traidcraft Exchange began working overseas on a small scale with producers and other community groups.
In 1993 Just Exchange, Traidcraft Exchange's first partner organisation, was launched officially in South Africa - to assist black run small businesses with marketing advice to increase sales, including exports.
In 1994-95 two new Traidcraft Partnerships started officially, in Tanzania and the Philippines; followed rapidly by the fourth in India in 1995.
From 1996-97 Traidcraft Exchange's overseas work through partnerships grew, with plans to expand the approach to other countries. Traidcraft's 'behind the scenes' lobbying had major impact on the new government's policy on the role of business in development and subsequently the White Paper on International Development.
In 1998 Traidcraft's Partner network expanded again with new joint export promotion projects in Bangladesh and Zambia. Traidcraft's Ethical Business work had a major boost, with the establishment of the Fair Trade Policy Unit, in a new London office to maximise effectiveness in debate with government and mainstream business.
In 1999 Traidcraft's Ethical Business Unit encouraged NGOs to recognise the potential to benefit poor people's lives through changes in the UK Companies Act, by legislating for greater transparency and accountability.
2000 saw Traidcraft's twenty-first birthday celebrations, with the charity securing a £2.5 million grant from DFID to set up a partner project in Malawi -one of the world's poorest countries.