|TOP|Traidcraft plc, an organisation set up to model a Christian approach to business, has recently been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

As UK's leading organisation dedicated to fighting poverty through trade, Traidcraft has been granted the Sustainable Development award for its pioneering work on using social accounting and a partner review process to promote dialogue with all its stakeholders.

Set up by a group of Christians on Tyneside in 1979, the trading company and the associated charity are currently working with over 100 producer groups in more than 30 developing countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Chief Executive Paul Chandler said: “We believe fair trade is integral to sustainable development and that fair trade rests upon honest dialogue and transparency between all parties. Traidcraft has always pursued a stakeholder approach in fulfilling its mission of using trade as a means of fighting poverty in the developing world.”

|AD|“For more than a quarter of a century Traidcraft has pioneered an approach to business which challenges the mainstream to adopt ways of doing business that are both equitable and sustainable,” said Mr Chandler.

“Our Christian foundation supplies us with two very powerful biblical models on which to base our work: the city on the hill, and the leaven in the loaf. Both demand application, by example and activity, of the principles and ethics we hold to; both bring about change in the community to which they are addressed.

“This award recognises that achievement and re-inforces our message that if a small organisation like Traidcraft can do it - and benefit from it - then so can everyone.”

In 1993, Traidcraft was the first plc in the UK to publish a fully-audited set of social accounts, a practice it has maintained ever since.

"Our social accounts are further bolstered by our continual Partner Review process, which examines key areas of our relationship with our producers,” said Mr Chandler.

"Reporting on the process is built into the organisational learning programme for each quarter, allowing us to make practical and timely contributions to the sustainable development of our network of partners.”

In addition, Traidcraft’s contribution to the practice of social accounting has been recognised by the Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants. This year they were the outright winner of the ACCA Best UK Social Accounts Awards.

In other news, the World Fair Trade Day has been set for 13th May, with the theme “Fair Trade Organisations NOW!” The theme is focused on promoting the unique role of Fair Trade Organisations including producer groups, Fair Trade companies, and retailers. The broader Fair Trade network consists of producer and consumer cooperatives, shops, collectives, advocacy groups, unions, producer groups, family workshops, Fair Trade shops, Internet stores, catalogue companies, religious institutions, NGO's, regional networks, national networks and many more.