In 2003, Ugandan farmer JJ Keki walked door-to-door asking his Muslim, Christian, and Jewish neighbors to leave behind a history of conflict, and unite to face their struggle against poverty caused by low coffee prices. The farmers came together, and founded a cooperative to build peace and prosperity in their community.
Since its founding in 2003, the coffee cooperative has grown to include over 1,000 members. JJ is 48 years old and has 25 children, more than half of whom he adopted after they lost their parents to AIDS. Thanks to Fair Trade, and his relationship with Thanksgiving Coffee Company, JJ has been able to increase the value of his organic, shade-grown coffee, expand his farm, and pay school tuition fees for all of his children. His neighbors are also thriving and hopes for peace are high.
“…They have created a tangible expression of their unity—a fair trade/organic coffee that wakes our bodies and souls and fuels their vision of shalom.” –Lynne Hybels, author & activist
Peace Blend is made with an antique Arabica varietal grown on the fertile volcanic slopes of Mt. Elgon. Supporting this fine coffee is a sun-dried Ethiopian coffee from the Sidama Farmers Cooperative Union. This unique medium roast blend has overtones of vanilla, spice, a nutty sweetness, and comes with hints of berries. We love it.
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Handmade Expressions believe that economic-sustainability is key to the basic development of a community. They work with over 500 artisans across India and help to bring their products to market in the West, and in doing so, help to provide a future for some of the poorest people in India.
Handmade Expressions works in India to create fairly traded, environmentally-friendly products. They partner with artisan groups mostly in the rural areas of India, and work to preserve traditional art forms in the communities they support. Their artisans are proud and skilled, and Handmade Expressions works hard to provide them a route to market here in the West.
The artisans they support have many different stories, and come from many different parts of the country. One of their artisan groups supports a school for physically and developmentally disabled children, allowing many who would otherwise be neglected to pursue an education. Another group works with girls who have escaped child marriages. These girls are shunned by their families and communities after violating the oppressive social norms to which they were expected to conform. When they leave their marriages, they are left without a home or anyone to help. Making jewelry and bags gives them a chance to stand on their own two feet and determine the course of their own lives.
These stories and others like them make us proud to partner with Handmade Expressions.
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Divine Chocolate is the first farmer-owned chocolate company in the world. They serve as a stark contrast to the slavery and injustice that dominate most of the world’s chocolate production. The cocoa beans that make up this chocolate are fairly traded, sustainably farmed, and irresistibly tasty.
The chocolate industry in West Africa is marred by violence, child labor, unfair business and accounting practices, and even slavery. The low prices we see here in America get lower on the backs of overworked, underpaid, and sometimes underage farmers in countries like Ghana and The Ivory Coast. These two countries farm about 2/3 of the world’s cocoa beans, and yet still face crippling poverty every single day. Learn more about the chocolate industry and the International Cocoa Initiative.
The farmers of Kuapa Kokoo believe that there has to be a better way.Like all of our partners, Divine Chocolate combines an amazing product with a compelling story. In the early 1990s, a group of farmers frustrated with being cheated at every turn, pooled their resources and formed the Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative. These farmers based their cooperative on fair trade principles, transparency, democracy, efficiency, and equality for women.
In 1998, they formed a publicly traded company, now Divine Chocolate, so that they could directly market their work to the rest of the world. The farmers of Kuapa Kokoo own nearly half of the company, hold seats on the board, and host yearly board meetings in Ghana.
We are proud to be a part of Divine’s continued growth, as they bring justice and transparency into an region and industry devoid of either.
Know that when you purchase Divine Chocolate, you participate in a radically innovative business model, and cast your vote for fairness (and tastiness, don’t forget how good these chocolate bars taste).
Here’s an interview with Comfort, one of the farmers. She talks about how women are treated within Kuapa Kokoo, and her rise to the position of National Secretary.
