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Honduras
is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. In the western
and southern regions 80-95% of the population lives in poverty, many in
extreme poverty. In the 1970s, cashew trees were introduced into
the Choluteca area, one of the poorest regions of Honduras. They have been a
valuable addition, both for the nutritious nuts they provide the community
and for the reforestation that occurred, stabilizing eroded soil. Each
cashew nut is hand-picked from trees grown organically. The cashews are roasted
in small brick or adobe ovens and are packaged immediately to maintain freshness.
The cashews are not processed with any other nuts. The fair trade relationship with the cooperatives that grow the
cashews, insures that the farmers receive the a fair price for their
product. In addition to a fair market price the farmers are paid an advance payment of 30%-50% of the
total that they receive 4 to 6 months before the harvest, so that they can
avoid the exploitation of middlemen.
Please note that we no longer carry fair trade
items. We are greatly sorry for the inconvenience. A reference page
containing links to all your favorite fair trade products will be
available soon.
| Quantities can be specified in
shopping cart, after adding item. |
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| Cashews Whole Pieces,
6 oz, $5.00
Due to heavy rains in Honduras, the cashew trees were severely
affected and we may not be getting a new shipment for a while.
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Dry
Roasted - No Salt or Oil
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| Dry
Roasted - Lightly Salted
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| Dry
Roasted - Salted, Chile & Lime
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| Raw,
Not Roasted
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Producer
- APDP & Choluteca Coops,
Honduras
A Honduran nonprofit organization, Asociación Proyectos Del Pueblo (APDP),
was formed and organized the cashew cooperatives in Choluteca. In the
1970s, cashew trees were introduced into the Choluteca area, and campesino
cooperatives planted thousands of them. However, the income of the
campesinos did not improve much by growing raw unshelled cashews for export.
Middlemen who arranged to process and export the nuts earned most of the
profit. Exploitation of the low-income farmers is common and local buyers
(middlemen) pay very low prices for the cashews, offering an advance
purchase of their harvest months before the harvest begins, at a time when
the farmers and their families are most desperate for cash to purchase food
and other essential goods. APDP helped organized the coops and helped
perfect a safe, local processing technique that prepares cashews for
export. This cooperative arrangement provides desperately needed jobs
that pay fair wages. Co-op members share the income that is earned, based on
the amount of work that each member contributes to the project. APDP
works closely with the individual cooperatives to maintain quality control,
trouble-shooting any problems that arise, and arranging prompt shipping for
export orders.
Rural Choluteca is a severely impoverished area plagued by high
unemployment, underemployment, environmental degradation, and few
opportunities for work. Rates of illiteracy and malnutrition are
high. There is hope, however, that a fair trade partnership
between impoverished campesino cooperatives and North American
consumers will improve the standard of living in rural Honduras.
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