1. Fair Trade: More than just bananas

2. Independent wholesaler of vegetarian, organic, natural foods
Customers throughout the UK and the world
Largest worker-owned cooperative in the UK
No bosses
Equal Pay
Built on multi-skilling

3. 1975

4. 46 The Calls – Suma’s First Warehouse

5. Suma at Dean Clough, Halifax

6. Suma Today

7. Elected Management Committee (MC)
General Meeting
(GM)
Elected Management Committee (MC)
Function Area Coordinators
(FACs)
Goods Handling
Distribution
Tactical Sales
Brand
Buying
Service Area

8. 1994

9. What is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade provides a minimum basic price to the producers for a commodity. If the market goes up, then the producers benefit from a higher market rate. Ft the market drops below the Fair Trade price, the producer still gets the Fair Trade price.

10. Fair Trade Premium
For every tonne of Fair Trade products made, the brand producer pays a premium – a cash sum to have the product certified as Fair Trade
If the goods aren’t certified with the Fair Trade logo, the goods could still be from a ‘Fair Trade’ supplier, but the premium is not paid
The Premium is given back to the cooperative that produced the goods
The producers get more back for products that are sold as Fair Trade, than those that aren’t
If producers want to mark their brand with the Fair Trade logo, they have to pay to register with the Fair Trade foundation, and pay the premium on all products that are marked with the logo
The Fair Trade logo is a registered Trademark

11. Case Study – Kuapa Kokoo & Divine Chocolate
Second largest Cocoa supplier in Ghana
Over 88,000 farmer members
The only chocolate bar readily available in the UK where the farmers receive a share of the profits of the final bar sale

12. Benefits of the premium
Use the FT premium to buy every farmer member a machete
Democratically decide how to spend the rest of the funds
Premium funds are spent on mills, solar panels, bikes, schools, toilets – anything that is needed
Any spend is accompanied by appropriate maintenance training to ensure longevity
The premium is funds generated by the farmers, which they then decide what to do with, gives autonomy and independence, NOT charity
Benefits of the Cooperative
Fully democratic on a national, regional and local level
Elected officials build trust within communities
There is a fund any member can access for help with campaigning
Separate funds set up to encourage women to create their own craft businesses to supplement their income
Officials check on the status of child labour in all cooperative villages
Funds available for education for all members and their families
Gives farmers a say over their lives

14. Does this whole Coop thing work?
Coops were worth £34.1 billion to the UK economy in 2016*
In 2014, estimated that 12% of G20 population were employed by cooperatives**
In Kenya 63% of the population get their income from cooperatives**
In general of all new business 4 in 5 will fail. With cooperatives, 3 in 5 will succeed**
Cooperatives in the USA own over $3 trillion in assets and generate over $500 million in revenue ***
Kuapa Kokoo, aim to be Ghana’s largest cocoa producer, they’re well on their way
Suma has experienced 40 years of continuous growth as a cooperative and has weathered 3 recessions
What do you think?
*Coops UK
**International Cooperative Alliance
***University of Wisconsin

15. Cooperative Principles
1. Voluntary and Open Membership
2. Democratic Member Control
3. Member Economic Participation
4. Autonomy and Independence
5. Education, Training and Information
6. Cooperation amongst Cooperatives
7. Concern for Community

16. Challenges ahead for cooperatives / Suma
Brexit uncertainty!!!!
Stricter government regulations / laws that don’t consider the cooperative model
Growth without reducing core values & principles
Climate change (worldwide food production)
Cooperative Strengths
Flexible / Adaptable
Resilient
Core values & principles