Spotlight on Equal Exchange
October Member Deals Spotlight: Equal Exchange
Celebrating Co-op Month, Fair Trade Month & Non-GMO Month
October is a month dedicated to values that matter—cooperation, fairness, and transparency in our food systems. That’s why we’re shining this weeks Member Deals Spotlight on Equal Exchange—a worker-owned cooperative that’s transforming global trade by working directly with small farmer co-ops. From October 1-7, all Equal Exchange products are 20% off for member-owners!
Equal Exchange was founded in 1986 to challenge the exploitative global trade model that favors large agribusiness and multinational corporations. Instead, they work with small-scale farmers, helping them gain access to international markets on fair terms. Every Equal Exchange product is:
- Certified Organic
- Fairtrade Certified
- Produced by cooperatives
- Non-GMO
From coffee and chocolate to avocados and bananas, Equal Exchange creates a trade system that is rooted in equity, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment
To read more about their history, click here.
Bananas
The banana industry is known for harmful labor practices and environmental degradation. Equal Exchange partners with co-ops in Ecuador and Peru—like AsoGuabo and CEPIBO—where farmers have collective ownership, democratic control, and access to fair prices. This not only sustains their land and livelihoods, but reinvests in local communities. Buying Equal Exchange bananas means supporting a model that respects people and the planet.
Avocados
In Michoacán, Mexico, small farmers from co-ops like PRAGOR and PROFOSMI produce organic avocados despite pressure from large industrial agriculture. These farmers face challenges like market access and pricing volatility, but Equal Exchange offers a lifeline through long-term, stable partnerships.
One inspiring example is Las Mujeres Polinizadoras de Tingambato, a women’s beekeeping co-op started with fair trade premiums to empower women through sustainable, income-generating work.
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Equal Exchange visiting the farmers from the PROFOSMI avocado cooperative
Coffee
Coffee is where it all began for Equal Exchange. In 1986, they introduced Café Nica, sourced from Nicaraguan farmers, as the first fairly traded coffee in the U.S. market. Today, Equal Exchange supports coffee farmers worldwide through initiatives like:
- Women in Coffee Series – spotlighting women leaders in the coffee supply chain
- The Congo Coffee Project – raising awareness and over $100,000 in support of Panzi Hospital, which helps survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Chocolate
The global chocolate industry often relies on child labor, forced labor, and poverty wages. Equal Exchange’s cocoa is grown by small farmer co-ops in Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, under strict Fair Trade and labor standards. Even the sugar in their chocolate bars comes from a small farmer co-op in Paraguay, creating a fully ethical supply chain.
Why It Matters
Equal Exchange proves that business can be a force for good. Their success is built on solidarity—not charity—and their model connects consumers with the people behind their food. Every cup of coffee, bite of chocolate, or slice of avocado toast is a chance to support a system that values dignity, democracy, and sustainability.
