


A Year of Crisis, Protest and Resilience: India in 2020 – an overview with Tomy Mathews, Managing Director of Elements and FTAK cooperative member
Last year was a turbulent year for all. Almost everyone faced challenges, disruptions and loss in one form or another. For Liberation, a smallholder farmer-owned company, we were not only concerned with the goings-on within the UK but also across continents with our friends and colleagues in the cooperatives and producer countries we work closely with. India, one of the said countries, undoubtedly faced some incredibly tough moments. Not only did it have the second highest Covid-19 death rate in the world (after the U.S.A.) and a harsh and rapid lockdown that resulted in many facing desolation through the loss of earnings, but also there was the implementation of three farm acts (also described as ´anti-farmer´acts) which, according to many, would leave farmers “at the mercy of corporates” and resulted in mass protests across the country. Fair Trade Alliance Kerala (FTAK), in the southwestern part of India, is a collective of over 4,500 farmers who, amongst many other things, supply us with cashews. At the end of last year, we spoke to Tomy Mathews, Managing Director of Elements (exporter of FTAK cashews) and FTAK cooperative member, about the year that the coop and his country had endured. According to Tomy, 2020 started like all others with hectic preparation for the annual seed festival which takes place on the 3rd week of January and is one of the biggest events for the FTAK. Cashew started with a good crop and Covid-19 was nothing but a strange news story. But only a few months in, the virus reached India and by March the country went into a dramatic and hastily announced...
Looking back at 2020
Dan started the year as the Technical Manager for Liberation and has ended it as the Director. Dan reflects on the year that will go down in history and what it has meant for the company, for the cooperatives and for him on a personal level.

Reflecting on a year at Liberation
Bob Trice, Interim Managing Director of Liberation Foods, reflects on his first year in the job, impressions of Fairtrade and working for a business with a social purpose.

Stuffing stockings with social impact
Wouldn’t it be nice if every Christmas stocking offered some social impact this year? We have created a round up of 17 of our favourites social enterprise organisations with exciting, ethical items available.

A sad goodbye
Everyone at Liberation Foods is desperately sad to learn that Twin has gone into administration. It was Twin and other far sighted organisations that were instrumental in setting up Liberation and other fair-trade companies.
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