Fair Trade certification ensures that cocoa farmers receive a fair price for their harvest, creates direct trade links between farmer-owned cooperatives and buyers, and provides access to affordable credit. On Fair Trade farms, slave labor is strictly prohibited and farms are inspected to ensure that Fair Trade standards are being met.

Equal Exchange cocoa comes from the CONOCADO cooperative who carefully cultivate their cacao trees with gentle, shade-grown, chemical-free farming methods. This creates the natural environment preferred by cacao trees as well as native wildlife and migratory birds. Then the co-op selects the best beans for special post-harvest processing, including a critical three day fermentation stage. Finally, in Holland, the cocoa nibs are Dutch-processed to create this premier baking powder. 

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.

	Organic Baking Cocoa, 8 oz, $5.00 100% organic cocoa powder
	Organic Hot Cocoa Mix: 12 oz, $5.00 organic cocoa powder, organic sugar, organic milk

Producer - Conacado Cocoa Coop, Dominican Republic  

CONACADO  is comprised of 9,000 small-scale farmers organized into 9 regional "bloque" associations, each consisting of 126 village associations. Throughout the organization, approximately 80 persons are employed to ensure its effective administration at the national and regional levels.  CONACADO was founded in 1988 as a response to low global cocoa prices, and in order to assist small-scale cocoa farmers in improving their working and living conditions. Its aim is to generate work and income for disadvantaged groups in society, to decrease dependency on intermediaries by exporting products directly, and to offer technical assistance and credit to farmers to improve the quality of cocoa production.  Cocoa is the main cash crop for CONACADO farmers, as it accounts for 90% of the farmer's income. Frequently, the income received from the export of their cocoa is below their costs of production. To improve farmers' standard of living, CONACADO cocoa is produced using organic agricultural techniques under the shade grown canopy of other fruit producing trees that provide extra income and food security for the farmers.  For Conacado, Fair Trade has paved the way for renewal, and continues to be a foundation of hope for continued growth. However, Conacado's members still sell much of their cocoa in the conventional market where prices have been below the cost of production for over two years.  Farmer incomes are sufficient to cover the basic costs of living but do not leave room for savings or extra expenses such as home improvements. Families with especially large numbers of children still can't afford to send them all to school.

Supplier/Importer - Equal Exchange

Equal Exchange, the pioneer and U.S. market leader in Fair Trade coffee since 1986.  100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting 27 small farmer cooperatives in 14 countries around the world. In keeping with its Fair Trade mission Equal Exchange is a worker cooperative, owned and democratically controlled by its employees.