Articles
Walking the “K’ojolaa” Coffee Trail
On the shores of Lake Atitlán, in the southwestern highlands of Sololá, Guatemala, a promising new cooperative initiative is beginning to take root. The “Coffee Tour K’ojolaa,” is an ecotourism project that was envisioned, planned, and organized by ten Tz’utujil Mayan youth in the small town of San Pedro La Laguna. Ranging in ages from 23-28, the project’s creators are members (or the sons and daughters of members) of Adenisa, a local, small-scale coffee cooperative.
Interview: Supporting Youth in Agriculture at Manduvira Cooperative
Manduvira Cooperative in Paraguay is world-renowned for being the first sugar mill owned and run by an agricultural cooperative. In addition to the co-op’s pressing worries about climate change, Manduvira also faces the challenge of an aging farming population. The cooperative is making a concerted effort to include youth in their work to come up with climate change mitigation strategies.
Co-op Projects and the Cooperative Economy
At the heart of Equal Exchange is the mission to build and strengthen a cooperative economy. Cooperative structures build equality by increasing ownership, control and equity in the exchange of value.