Making Veganuary Extra Good – Vegan and Fair Trade

Nicola Taylor • January 18, 2021

Take part in Veganuary for a healthier start to the new year

If you haven’t heard of Veganuary it’s an annual campaign, as you might expect, to encourage people to become vegan. A new year – a new diet, and we’re right behind it.

Chances are though you will have heard of Veganuary as it is gaining traction with a record number of sign-ups this year. More than 500,000 have taken a step to try a plant based diet.

If you’re new to JTS and have landed on this blog as a novice vegan, a big warm welcome to you. We are a not for profit importing a range of sustainably sourced, fairly traded food products, some of which are organically produced and some are vegan friendly. All of them make a big difference in the lives of the developing country family farmers who produce them.

To introduce you to our great tasting fairly traded vegan products we’ve got some great, special Veganuary offers. Order yours, delivered to your door. Just look for the special packages on our online store.

“A plant based diet has health benefits for us, means no animals are harmed and is good for the environment around us. We are thrilled that sign-up for this year’s Veganuary have exceeded half a million and we are proud to support the campaign” said JTS Managing Director, Tracy Mitchell.

“Whether you have been a vegan for some time, have decided to go vegan for January or are simply introducing some vegan meals to your diet, having so many people interested in a plant-based diet can only be good for the planet with sustainable farming methods a key feature of the products we import from developing countries”.

“Our award winning Kilombero rice for instance is grown by smallholder farmers in Malawi using traditional cultivation methods which protect the environment and have sustained local communities for centuries. We are also the importer of Ma’s Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk from Sri Lanka which contains only coconut milk and water. It’s also Fairtrade certified which means that growers benefit from the likes of health insurance and support in education as well as assistance with sustainable agricultural practices. So, choosing our vegan friendly products is a win-win scenario for the growers, the planet and you”.

Check the wide range of recipes using JTS products.

Here’s what Veganuary says about the environmental benefits of vegan food. “Going vegan and opting for planet-friendly foods and sustainable plant-based proteins is a great way to help the environment. According to Oxford University research, going vegan is the easiest and most effective way each of us can help protect our planet.

“Animal agriculture is a leading driver of deforestation, which in turn is a key cause of biodiversity loss. It is also one of the biggest polluters, contributing to ocean dead zones and algal blooms. Animal agriculture also creates more climate-changing emissions than the fuel from our entire global transport system. That’s right. Animal products can be more damaging than every train, plane, car, bus and ship on Earth.”

As Tracy mentioned with the Kilombero rice, choosing fairly traded vegan products has big positive impacts on producers struggling to stay afloat.

Meet the producers and learn about the farmer organisations we work with in developing countries and see how the fair trade system benefits them.

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Vegan products offered by JTS include:

Kilombero Rice (white and brown long grain rice)
Ma’s Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk
Meru Herbs Tomato & Basil Sauce, Tomato & Chilli Sauce and Hot Chilli Pesto
Cape Curry Red Curry Paste & Yellow Curry Paste
A range of jams, marmalades and sauces from Eswatini
A range of spice s and chili sauces from Turqle Trading in South Africa

So, where can you get hold of these awesome vegan (and other fairly traded products)? Well the easiest, safest and most convenient place during lockdown is through own web shop at https://www.jts.co.uk/shop/ We also sell through a network of other online and independent retailers including Traidcraft and the Ethical Superstore, and Unicorn Grocery. If you’re after a bulk order we can do that, or you can go through wholesalers including Green City Wholefoods, Essential Wholefoods, Infinity Wholefoods and Locavore.

JTS is a small social enterprise set up in 2009 and based in Paisley, Scotland. The organisation empowers and educates producers and consumers, through the fair purchasing and sale of delicious fine food products from developing countries.

So again, if you didn’t know about Veganuary before reading this blog and you fancy trying a vegan diet Veganuary have lots of free information you need. It’s not too late, sign up now and every day in January you’ll receive an email with all the support you need to make trying vegan easy:

Daily hints and tips
Meal plans and recipes
Information about the benefits of a vegan diet for health, animals and the planet

You’ll be part of a global community of vegan pledgers! By following the Veganuary campaign on Facebook and Instagram you’ll be able to share your struggles and successes with other Veganuary participants past and present. Almost 1 million people have previously taken part - trying a plant-based diet in January to reduce their environmental footprint, protect animals and improve their health. Already vegan? You can join too! Sign up for Veganuary to show your support, receive unique and delicious new recipes to try, and have access to videos, graphics, and other great sharables that will encourage your non-vegan friends to take part!

What are you waiting for? Sign up today to be part of the worldwide Veganuary phenomenon.

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A woman standing at church fair trade stall with lots of delicious fair trade products available

How to Run a True Origin Fair Trade Stall at Your Church

By Nicola Taylor • July 3, 2026

A Fair Trade stall is about so much more than selling tea, coffee and chocolate. Every purchase supports smallholder farmers and producers who are working incredibly hard to build sustainable livelihoods in the face of climate change, rising fuel costs and an unpredictable global market. For many of the communities we work with, having reliable customers is essential. By running a True Origin stall at your church, you become part of that support network, helping to create regular demand for products that often aren't available in supermarkets or high street shops. Whether your church is passionate about global justice, caring for creation or simply making a practical difference, a Fair Trade stall is a simple but powerful way to turn those values into action. Start Small You don't need a huge team or a large budget to get started. Begin by talking with your church leaders about the idea. Many churches are happy to provide a small loan or donation to purchase initial stock, particularly if it can be repaid gradually as sales grow. Remember that most of the income from a stall is best reinvested into buying more stock rather than raising money for church funds. This helps keep the stall sustainable and ensures producers continue to receive orders. If you're new to running a stall, don't worry, you won't be on your own. The True Origin team and experienced Fair Traders are always happy to share advice and practical tips.