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Mon, May 7, 2018 - 12:34pm

The Fierce Women CONACADO

Frankie Pondolph
May 7, 2018
Tagged: 
chocolate

I came away from a recent visit to our cacao partner CONACADO with a feeling of tremendous appreciation for the way that co-operative has promoted women in roles that traditionally are assigned to men. I have even more appreciation for the strong women who have taken opportunities for leadership and have excelled, despite the challenges. According to the organization Farming First, “female farmers receive only 5% of all agricultural extension services from 97 countries, [and] only 15% of the world’s extension agents are women.”

Mon, Dec 11, 2017 - 3:28pm

Creating Space for Farmers in the Craft Chocolate Movement

Laura Bechard
December 11, 2017
Tagged: 
chocolate
co-ops
fair trade

As rain drizzled down from slate grey skies, thousands of visitors took refuge inside Smith Cove at Pier 91 to attend the Northwest Chocolate Festival in Seattle. The festival has been a staple of the city’s events scene since 2008. This year, the chocolate team at Equal Exchange participated in the festival workshops and unconference from Nov. 9-12.

Wed, Jul 12, 2017 - 11:16am

Farming on the Fault Line

Laura Bechard
July 12, 2017
Tagged: 
chocolate
co-ops
environment
fair trade
food system

In April 2016, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador’s coastal region, killing over 650 people and wounding another 16,000. The epicenter of this destructive phenomenon was located within one of our cacao partner co-operatives, UOPROCAE. Last year, Equal Exchange, the Cooperative Development Foundation, Pronatec (our Swiss partner for chocolate making), food co-operatives, and caring individuals came together to donate over $35,000 to support recovery efforts to two of our partner co-operatives in the region.

Tue, Feb 14, 2017 - 8:10am

Connecting Over Chocolate

Dary Goodrich
February 14, 2017
Tagged: 
chocolate
food system
gift ideas

For me, this Valentine’s Day feels different. Yes, I’ve got chocolate on the mind—as Chocolate Products Manager, I think about it all the time—but there are two other things I keep coming back to. First is the current state of U.S. politics and the division that seems to be the defining character of our country at this time.

Wed, Nov 30, 2016 - 11:53am

Support Farmers in Ecuador Post-Earthquake

Equal Exchange
November 30, 2016
Tagged: 
chocolate
co-ops

It may seem like a distant memory at this point, but you may recall that Ecuador was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April of 2016. The epicenter of the earthquake was located near the town of Muisne – a community that is part of our partner organization UOPROCAE, or the Union of Producers of Cacao of Arriba Esmeraldas. One of the cities that suffered the worst infrastructure damage was Portoviejo, close to our other cacao partner organization Fortaleza del Valle. We reached out immediately to both groups and were very relieved to learn that there were no fatalities among the members and staff of the UOPROCAE or Fortaleza del Valle. However, damage to personal property and the property belonging to the farmer organizations is significant and will be slow to fully rebuild.

Tue, Jan 19, 2016 - 10:19am

Fair Trade Valentine's Day

Sara Fiore
January 19, 2016
Tagged: 
chocolate
fair trade
gift ideas

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! What do you have planned for your special someone (or yourself)? This year, we’re celebrating love of all kinds – including our love for Fair Trade, of course. Here are a few ways you can incorporate your support of small farmers into your gift-giving and activities on February 14. 

Tue, Sep 30, 2014 - 4:55pm

Trick or Treat? Why Fair Trade Halloween Chocolate Matters

Sara Fiore
September 30, 2014
Tagged: 
chocolate
co-ops
fair trade
food system

Halloween is just around the corner, and that means it's time for candy, trick-or-treating, costumes and more candy. Every year, Americans spend over a billion dollars on millions of pounds of Halloween chocolate — enough for every sweet tooth in the country and then some!

Mon, Aug 4, 2014 - 11:07am

Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Jessica Jones-Hughes
August 4, 2014
Tagged: 
chocolate

Have you been following the outpouring of new research about the important role of bacteria in our body and its link to our health? There was very little information about how our microflora (a.k.a. gut bacteria) influenced our health until about five years ago. The new findings are truly revolutionizing our understanding of health and nutrition (think probiotics and prebiotics).

Thu, Nov 14, 2013 - 12:21pm

An Equal Exchange

Ashley Symons
November 14, 2013
Tagged: 
chocolate

I just got back from a weeklong visit to the Dominican Republic, where a group of us--a mix of Equal Exchange staff, food co-op managers, and Interfaith liaisons--visited cacao-growing communities that belong to CONACADO Co-op, an umbrella organization of about 10,000 cacao farmers.

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