NextBillion.net - Development Through Enterprise - North America

Equal Exchange

Lauren Abendschein — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:53:26 -0500

Managing Organization: Equal Exchange

Activity URL:

http://www.equalexchange.com

Activity Description: Equal Exchange was founded in 1986 to create a new approach to trade, one that engages consumers and builds relationships through cooperative principles. The company is structured as a for-profit, worker-owned cooperative. Every worker-owner invests in the company, and over 300 outside shareholders have invested as well.

Equal Exchange trades directly with democratically organized small farmer cooperatives. Producers are given a guaranteed minimum price that provides a stable source of income as well as improved social services. Equal Exchange also facilitates access to credit for producer organizations.

TransFair USA - Fair Trade Certifiers

Lauren Abendschein — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:53:28 -0500

Managing Organization: TransFair USA

Activity URL:

http://transfairusa.org/

Activity Description: TransFair USA's mission is to build a more equitable and sustainable model of international trade that benefits producers, consumers, industry and the earth. They achieve that mission by certifying and promoting Fair Trade products.

TransFair audits transactions between US companies offering Fair Trade Certified™ products and the international suppliers from whom they source, in order to guarantee that the farmers and farm workers behind Fair Trade Certified goods were paid a fair, above-market price. In addition, annual inspections conducted by FLO ensure that strict socioeconomic development criteria are being met using increased Fair Trade revenues.

Aires de Campo

Seema Patel — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 16:47:54 -0400

Managing Organization: Aires de Campo

Activity URL:

www.airesdecampo.com

Activity Description:

Aires de Campo taps into an emerging base of "conscious consumers" by selling locally produced organic food products at a competitive price.

When Pablo Muñozledo decided to build an organic store in 2001, there was no major market for such products. Unlike in the United States, where companies like Whole Foods were growing rapidly by appealing to eco-friendly consumers, these services were not in high demand in Mexico. It is in this environment that a pioneering entrepreneur created a company that sought to support local organic farmers by delivering their high quality products to the urban residents of Mexico City.