Partner Article
Equal Exchange’s mission and products are changing the power dynamics in the food system, creating market access and voice for small growers and opportunity for consumers to purchase according to their values.
Our model has long bucked the tunnel-vision trend of “maximizing profits.” Founded in 1986, Equal Exchange started with a bold vision: what if food could be ethically traded, in ways that create a closer connection between farmers and consumers, building an alternative supply chain rooted in honesty, fairness, and empowerment?
With farmer co-ops at the heart of our model, we partner with values-based retailers to make this a reality, offering delicious lines of organic coffees, teas, chocolate and baking items.
We are excited to launch Equal Exchange Everyday - 5 Organic Ground Coffee SKUs with an accessible retail price point of $7.99-$8.99:
- Organic Breakfast Blend (9oz)
- Organic French Roast (9oz)
- Organic House Blend (9oz)
- Organic Women in Coffee Blend (9oz)
- Organic Decaf (8oz ground)
…Plus a larger value-sized 18oz bag:
- Organic Breakfast Blend (18oz)
This product line is a response to two challenging trends in the current landscape: skyrocketing coffee commodity prices and grocery market consolidation.
High-Priced Coffee Commodity Market
The commodity market for coffee hit an unprecedented all-time high earlier this year. Even more impactful than a one-time high has been a sustained high-priced market. Commodity prices have been volatile, often fluctuating wildly, all while remaining at a meaningfully higher range than in past years. This puts pressure on all parts of the supply chain, including small farmer cooperatives, which need fast access to increased capital to be able to pay farmers higher prices before the co-ops themselves receive payment from their buyers.
Paradoxically, high priced markets can challenge both quality and sustainability; when coffee is scarce through real or perceived supply limitations, buyers may pay high prices for whatever they can get their hands on, disincentivizing some growers from investing the time and effort in quality and sustainability. Equal Exchange continues to pay small farmers fair prices for their consistently high quality, organic products that result in a delicious product for consumers without compromising their commitment to organic and innovative farming.
Consolidated U.S. Grocery Market
The U.S. grocery market is increasingly dominated by large corporations, who grow ever-larger as they buy up small and medium-sized chains. This results in a grocery landscape with concentrated power, and a small number of decision-makers who have enormous control over which products make it to store shelves. Many of those corporations have weak commitments to environmental, labor, and social standards. Equal Exchange works to educate consumers to support the alternative model, one that values independence, democracy, and transparency. Through our trade model and products, we create a way for consumers to support independence throughout the supply chain: in farming communities, at our worker-owned roastery, and at independent retailers.
We know that many consumers face tightening budgets and difficult decisions regarding where to shop, what to buy, and the desire to contribute to a better food system. Through our Everyday coffee line, we offer a low shelf price to create a pathway for shoppers to enjoy delicious coffee while they in turn support independence, sustainability, and strong farming communities.
Reach out to your Equal Exchange Sales Rep for more details and to add this new coffee line.