How it does good
A closer connection between people and farmers
The tea, cocoa, and coffee farming industries are at the highest risk for worker exploitation and contributing to deforestation. For standard brands, these supply chains are notoriously lacking in transparency. That’s why Equal Exchange created a fair trade model that cuts out the middleman. Instead, they focus on direct, transparent trade with farmers and cooperatives. They work in collaboration with Root Capital to help build farmer cooperative training programs. A USAID partner, Equal Exchange is heavily engaged in farmer cooperative capacity development, bringing technical assistance to in-country growers to help increase productivity and reliability to ensure success in a global market.