Liberation is an extraordinary company - run solely to benefit farmers, their families and communities in some of the world's poorest countries. We supply the UK market with most of its Fairtrade nuts, for supermarkets' own brand ranges and through our own branded snacks. For us Fairtrade isn't only about paying a fair price to farmers for their crops, though this is vital. It is the whole way we run our business.

There is no rule in industry or commerce to say that the northern hemisphere has to rule the world! We want to make a difference and make a statement that businesses can be run differently. Our company is jointly owned by farmers from some of the world’s poorest countries. They are represented on our board and have their say at Annual Shareholders’ Meetings and will receive a share of profits when a dividend is paid. The structure of our company means that farmers can be sure their voices are heard – which brings a sense of empowerment and self esteem as well as much needed financial benefits. We also want to liberate taste buds with our delicious products, so Liberation is about nourishing lives on both sides of the world. So we want to help free the world from needless poverty and do something about unfairness in the trading system - not much to ask from a packet of nuts!

The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label which appears on products as the only independent guarantee that disadvantaged farmers and workers in the developing world are getting a better deal. As well as receiving a fair price for their crops, the farmers also receive an additional ‘premium’ payment. This goes straight back to the farming organisation which democratically decides on how it should be spent. This can be on clean water supplies, education for the farmers’ children, health care and other important, life changing initiatives. The UK leads the world in Fairtrade – we now spend almost £700m on products which carry the FAIRTRADE Mark every year. Over 70% of the adult population recognises the FAIRTRADE Mark.

There are now more than 4,500 Fairtrade products available in all supermarket chains, many smaller stores, restaurants, cafés, hotels and on line. Coffee, bananas, tea and chocolate are the well known but other products include: cocoa powder, sugar, pineapples, mangoes, oranges, satsumas, clementines, lemons, grapefruit, avocados, lychees, grapes, apples, pears, plums, fruit juices, smoothies, quinoa, peppers, green beans, coconuts, dried fruit, herbal teas, rooibos tea, green tea, ice-cream, cakes, biscuits, honey, muesli, cereal bars, jams, chutney, sauces, herbs, spices, nut oil, wine, beer, rum, rice, yoghurt, baby food, flowers, sports balls, sugar body scrub, cotton wool, other cotton products. And of course nuts.

A Community Interest Company (CIC) is a new type of company, designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good. A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives rather than one driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners. The profits of a social enterprise are principally reinvested in the business or in the community. Social enterprises tackle a wide range of social and environmental issues and operate in all parts of the economy. They include local community enterprises, registered charities, social firms, mutual organisations such as co-operatives, and large-scale organisations operating nationally or internationally.

We do care about food miles and we think it makes sense to buy local when you can- but, if you aren’t able to buy something from a local source, buy Fairtrade. The nuts in Liberation’s products can’t be grown in Europe, so importing them from far away countries is a must if we want to eat them. All our nuts are shipped, not air-freighted, which means they have a much smaller carbon footprint. Shipping also allows bigger quantities to be transported at any time, which further cuts down the number of trips needed to bring the nuts to the UK and this, again, helps cut carbon emissions. Buying brazil nuts, especially on Fairtrade terms, helps protect the Amazon Rainforest. This is because brazil nut gathering provides an income which doesn’t involve cutting and destroying the rainforest. In this way we are helping to protect communities in those regions and their livelihoods - as well as preventing the rainforest from being cut down.

We think it’s the perfect way to get the Liberation message out to our customers and it’s fun and lively, just like our nuts. And it’s also another way of bringing the producers and consumers of the world together – even if it’s only a picture of them on the side of our van. And what better way of celebrating the multi ethnic diversity of the world of Liberation than in a language everybody understands. Rhythm. Each of the countries that produce our nuts has a colourful and rich drumming culture. We are celebrating these on the streets and in the festivals of the UK and giving our friends and customers a chance to join in the party. Enjoy.

Around 75% of the total fat content of nuts is made up of unsaturated fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. These fats are not linked to increased risk of heart disease. Nuts provide lots of other nutrients as well as calories and research shows that they are a particularly good source of dietary fibre, which is in short supply in most typical UK diets (Denny and Buttriss, 2008.) The consumption of dietary fibre has been shown to increase satiety, the feeling of fullness, and therefore you may be less prone to snacking during the day. Fibre does this by reducing gastric emptying, and intestinal transit, which also means that carbohydrate (sugars) absorption is reduced and blood cholesterol is lowered, (Salas-Salvados et al., 2006). Emerging evidence suggests that regular consumption of nuts might be related to body weight regulation, meaning that people do not gain weight, and that the risk of type 2 diabetes may also be reduced if a diet high in foods rich in dietary fibre is consumed (Garcia-Lorda et al., 2003).

It is well established that women planning a baby should be well nourished before pregnancy and nuts are packed with lots of nutrients that are particularly important in the diets of women of child bearing age. Nuts provide folic acid, iron, zinc, calcium, B vitamins and vitamin E as well as essential fatty acids. Men should also be encouraged to eat a healthy diet when planning a pregnancy with their partner: a shortage of antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin E and selenium, both found in nuts both been linked to low sperm count in men (Eskenasi et al., 2005). Advice on whether women from families at greater risk of allergy (where close family members have asthma, eczema or hayfever) should avoid peanuts during pregnancy is currently under review as there is some concern that avoiding nuts in pregnancy may increase the risk of allergies. For up to date information on eating well in pregnancy see www.eat.well.gov.uk

Not only do peanuts and tree nuts have no cholesterol but also the unsaturated fatty acids that they contain have been shown to reduce blood cholesterol, as well as lower risks of cardiovascular diseases by 25-55% (Kris-Etherton et al., 2001).
Dietary fibre present in nuts reduces gastric emptying, and intestinal transit, which means that carbohydrate (sugars) absorption is reduced and blood cholesterol is lowered (Salas-Salvados et al., 2006).
Nuts, like other vegetable foods also contain substances in various amounts called phytochemicals such as polyphenolic compounds, carotenoids, plant sterols, glucosinates and it is suggested that these are particularly important in preventing cancer (Denny and Buttriss, 2008). Regular consumption of nuts has been associated with reduced risks of colon and rectal cancers (Gonzales et al, 2006).
A prospective cohort study on nut consumption shows that frequent nut consumption reduces the risks of gall stone disease in men (Tsai et al, 2004)

Nuts contribute to a significant numbers of calories if eaten in high amounts, however, an average portion of nuts (30g – a small bag or a handful) provides only around 200kcals and is considered a healthy daily snack (which is still less than most chocolate confectionery bars or larger bags of crisps). A portion of 25-30g of nuts eaten at least 4 times a week has been shown to make a difference in improving health in several studies (Tsai et al, 2004; Gonzales et al, 2006).
In the USA a Qualified Health Claim was approved in 2003, recommended that eating 42g of nuts per day may reduce the risks of heart disease (King et al., 2008).