Equal Exchange
A worker-owned cooperative reinvents international supply chains for the benefit of small producers.
Summary
Founded in 1986, Equal Exchange is a worker cooperative that combines democratic worker ownership with an ambitious social mission and a successful international business model. The company has built an integrated fair-trade supply chain—including direct relationships with farmer cooperatives in more than a dozen countries, in-house roasting, global production and warehousing facilities, and national distribution—across coffee, chocolate, bananas, tea, nuts, and other products. Its innovative financing model raises outside capital without relinquishing worker control, enabling Equal Exchange to invest in facilities, partner enterprises, and a broader ecosystem of mission-aligned cooperatives.
