Cooperative Bananas, in Dollars and Cents

Cooperative Bananas, in Dollars and Cents

When you purchase a conventional banana at a grocery store, there are certain costs that your everyday low price covers: the fruit itself; the international shipping costs; the trucking from the warehouse to the grocery stores. These costs are internalized, meaning they’re accounted for in the final price you pay. But there are hidden costs to banana production that you won’t pay a cent for at the cash register.

Read More
Unconventional Bananas in Peru: Interview with Julio Oscar Gallegos Herrera-Rambla

Unconventional Bananas in Peru: Interview with Julio Oscar Gallegos Herrera-Rambla

Equal Exchange works with a movement of independent businesses–farmer co-ops, distributors, stores–to create a banana supply chain that is unconventional at every step. In a sensitive industry, we look to the farmer organizations revolutionizing the banana trade to envision a future in which the industry represents and benefits all stakeholders.

Read More
Power to the (Women) Farmers
Food System, Farming and Agriculture Greta Merrick Food System, Farming and Agriculture Greta Merrick

Power to the (Women) Farmers

In the fair trade world, farmers form the backbone of the supply chain and are essential partners for the businesses with whom they work. However, in discussions about farming, well-intentioned speakers on the receiving end of the supply chain tend to fit farmers into boxes, conjuring an image of “The Farmer” as a middle-aged (and in the U.S., white) male.

Read More