Equal Exchange works with dozens of
cooperatives around the world

Equal Exchange, founded in 1986, is the oldest and largest for-profit Fair Trade company in the US. Their products, ranging from coffee to chocolate to nuts are produced by democratically run farmer co-ops in Latin America, Africa and Asia and total products from over 30 farmer cooperatives in 18 countries.

Equal Exchange's mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers and to demonstrate, through our success, the contribution of worker co-operatives and Fair Trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world.

Equal Exchange is a worker owned cooperative from farm to office and maintains a top-to-bottom pay ratio of 4-to-1. For comparision consider that the ratio of CEO pay to average worker pay was 301-to-1 in 2003 (Source: United for a Fair Economy.) The corporate top-to-bottom ratio would necessarily be even higher.

The Fair Trade premium helped create Training programs for women in Guatemala to further education and equality, an ecotourism project in Nicaragua to generate additional income while educating consumers first hand about Fair trade, and new classrooms, supplies and teachers in El Salvador.

Read more about Equal Exchange at http://www.equalexchange.com.