Strengthen Farming Communities

Fair Trade USA is assembling NGOs and industry partners to help cooperatives develop the business capacity to become competitive and stay that way well into the future. Plus, innovative new partnerships with leading social entrepreneurs will provide Fair Trade farming communities with expertise to address critical social challenges. We would like to recognize the following partners for their commitment as we work together to foster sustainable solutions that will strengthen farming communities for generations to come:

Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), AVINA Foundation, Global Coffee Quality Research Initiative, Green Mountain Coffee, Inter-American Development Bank, Kiva, Rabobank, Rabobank Foundation, ResponsAbility, Root Capital, Scientific Certification Systems, Sustainable Harvest, United Farm Workers, VIVA Trust and World Bank

INVESTING IN COOPERATIVES

Fair Trade USA has launched a cooperative development program called Co-op Link. The program is designed to respond to the business challenges facing Fair Trade coffee cooperatives in four key areas:

Access to affordable short-term working and long-term investment capital
Training to strengthen organizational business capacity, including price/risk management
Research and training to improve quality and yields
Market linkage support to help cooperatives find U.S. buyers and diversify markets

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Communities also require expertise to help them convert Fair Trade premiums into effective solutions to their most urgent challenges. Focus areas include education, health care, water, environmental stewardship and food security. To deepen the impact of Fair Trade community development efforts, Fair Trade USA is engaging with leading social entrepreneurs and innovative development organizations to bring new approaches and sustainable solutions to Fair Trade communities.

Learn more about the Fair Trade for All innovation strategy.

Co-op Link: Program Highlights
Co-op Link is an effort to strengthen producer organizations by providing cooperatives with increased market opportunity in the U.S., improved access to capital and an expanded range of capacity building and quality improvement initiatives.
Sustainable Sourcing Partnership Project (Brazil) in partnership with USAID and Green Mountain Coffee— Enables farmers to continue making high volume sales, while diversifying their client bases with higher-value sales to new sustainability and quality-oriented customers. Price Risk Management Training (Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico) in partnership with the World Bank and Avina Foundation— 30-35 producer organizations receive training to manage risks like devaluation of currencies, managing differentials, and the macro and micro economic concepts that drive prices and costs. Recertification/Leadership Training (Haiti) in partnership with the Ansara Family Foundation— Recertification program helped Haitian mango cooperatives stay in the Fair Trade system after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Leadership training program assisted in democratic self-management, basic accounting, and helped re-establish sound agricultural practices in the region. Click HERE for more Co-op Link program information

Co-op Link: Program Highlights

Co-op Link is an effort to strengthen producer organizations by providing cooperatives with increased market opportunity in the U.S., improved access to capital and an expanded range of capacity building and quality improvement initiatives.

Sustainable Sourcing Partnership Project (Brazil) in partnership with USAID and Green Mountain Coffee— Enables farmers to continue making high volume sales, while diversifying their client bases with higher-value sales to new sustainability and quality-oriented customers.

Price Risk Management Training (Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico) in partnership with the World Bank and Avina Foundation— 30-35 producer organizations receive training to manage risks like devaluation of currencies, managing differentials, and the macro and micro economic concepts that drive prices and costs.

Recertification/Leadership Training (Haiti) in partnership with the Ansara Family Foundation— Recertification program helped Haitian mango cooperatives stay in the Fair Trade system after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Leadership training program assisted in democratic self-management, basic accounting, and helped re-establish sound agricultural practices in the region.

Click HERE for more Co-op Link program information