For thirty plus years Equal Exchange has been trying to build a democratic brand that aims to connect all parts of the supply chain. From our farmer co-ops, our own co-op here and in the USA and down to individual supporters of our brand. We have, however, become more aware that the path forward is more perilous than it has ever been.

We now know that we cannot possibly succeed in our goal to transform the food system without the active, deep and committed participation of citizen-consumers like you. An authentic Fair Trade system requires democratic organising of farmer producers, worker democracy for businesses in the northern hemisphere, and active citizen involvement within it.

In the wider food system corporations control everything from seeds to supply and prices while relentlessly chipping away at the regulations that inform and protect consumers. They fight feverishly to prevent us from knowing if GMOs are present in our food. They continue to promote production methods that hasten the warming of the planet—a present day threat to millions of small farmers and others around the world. And corporations count on consumers remaining unorganised to maintain the status quo.

Read more about why we are doing this with an article from Equal Exchange US about the food system and market consolidation.

https://equalexchange.coop/blog/the-citizen-consumer-dilemma-part-one-the-problems

What are we building?

We are taking a step. We want to build a democratic brand that connects the farmers in the south to citizen consumers in the north. We believe, in order to realise the original Fair Trade vision, we need to deepen involvement and participation in our model, to deepen global solidarity, learning and economic justice. This will be a slow process and a great challenge for us all but we need your support.

Please join us in building this dream. We invite you to help us shape the future. Our vision is of a vibrant community of citizen consumers working together to deepen our collective knowledge of issues and taking actions where it would be strategic to do so.

How do I join?

We have created a simple application. You, as a supporter and activist, can send us your thoughts via the form below. We can then keep in touch about the initial stages of this movement.

In solidarity

Equal Exchange Co-op

Equal Exchange Logo