Equal Exchange

So called ethical trade is becoming ubiquitous. Where others now follow, Equal Exchange passed by many years ago. Fair Trade is now just one small part of an ethical market everyone seems to want a slice. Pioneering fine food company Equal Exchange has been at the forefront of this movement for nearly 30 years.

History

Equal Exchange began as Campaign Coffee in 1979 when three voluntary workers returned to Edinburgh after working on aid projects in Africa. Along with a sister organisation in London, they started buying instant coffee directly from a factory at Bukoba, on the shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania, and Campaign Coffee, the first Fair Trade food product, was born.
The volunteers had seen how small-scale farmers were getting into debt due, in part, to the appallingly low prices they received for their products. Aid was not the only answer - direct, fairer trading could help redress the balance. (After so many years Fairtrade certification is still the only independent guarantee that minimum prices are met.)
Nearly 30 years later the three volunteers' dreams are beginning to be realised with more and more brands such as cafedirect and Liberation competing with the establishment.

Great products and impact

We have always believed that great tasting products will sell well. Our brand is well known for that.
However, we believe life does not start and stop at the buying of a certified product from an intermediary. Most distributors still make most profit from supporting conventional commodity traders. We seek new challenges which fundamentally change the way producer groups do business. We want to take on the giants. Our mission is fair trade!
Although we have set up many new supply chains and are buying from 26 groups in 17 countries an example will illustrate where the real impact comes.

Fairtrade certified Cashew and Brazil nuts are a new and important product sector for Equal Exchange. We were the first to develop strong supply chains with these nut producers and take credit for opening this new market. Since Equal Exchange entered this market, working with producer co-operatives in southwest India, the local price for cashews has increased markedly. Prior to Equal Exchange's involvement the local market price for raw cashews stood at 25 to 28 rupees per kilo Equal Exchange pay their partner producers 39 rupees per kilo and as a result the local price has risen to 36 rupees per kilo. When Equal Exchange's buyers temporally withdrew from the market, due to technical issues, the local market price fell back to the earlier level, when they resumed buying, the price rose again to 36 rupees. In this way, whilst 1200 families benefit directly from their participation in producer cooperatives trading with Equal Exchange, a further 22,000 families benefit from the significant increase in the local market price.

You can buy these cashew nuts in our own or the new Liberation brand selling baked nut snacks.

You can be sure we will always go the extra mile. Equal Exchange's Fairtrade sales have brought benefits to thousands of producers and their families, as well as to their wider communities. Fairtrade and organic premiums are used to invest in their businesses, develop organic farming methods, create schools, build roads to give access to remote villages and to set up community health and environmental projects.