Imagine you just heard the news that for the unforeseen future, your salary will be cut by 30 percent. It makes no difference that you’ve been working hard and doing your job to the best of your ability. The pay cut was determined by external forces beyond your control. What will this mean for your family? How will you plan for the future?
This is exactly the situation that cacao farmers faced in 2017. From the 2016 market high of $3,211 per metric ton (MT) of cocoa beans, prices dropped in 2017 to a low of $1,809/MT. The average price over the year was $2,002/MT—not much better. Low prices, and price volatility in general, are just a few of the many challenges small-scale farmers face. But it’s also why our chocolate work is so important.
Even though Equal Exchange chocolate sales were down about 2% in 2017 (a minor bump in the road compared to difficulties farmers faced), we were able to purchase just shy of 1,000 MT of cacao, sugar, and vanilla from farmer co-operatives. This translated into close to $2,500,000 in purchases from our co-op partners, with above market premiums of $700,000. In 2017, this made a real difference for our co-op and our farmer partners, giving them an alternative within an overall inhumane market.
Knowing that our success has such a direct impact on the lives of our small-scale farmer partners keeps us focused on growing our sales and connecting with consumers who share our concern for the people whose livelihoods depend on our success.
Enjoy a great recipe using fair trade chocolate here: https://www.marlenesmarket-deli.com/chocolate-chip-chevre-cheesecake
Please give us a call for today’s deli hours as they can vary due to staffing.
Grab and go options are always available until close.
FEDERAL WAY
Monday-Saturday: 8 am - 8 pm
Sunday: 9 am - 7 pm
Please call for current deli counter service hours. Grab and go options available until closing.
2565 S. Gateway Center Place
Federal Way, WA 98003
TACOMA
Monday-Saturday: 8 am - 8 pm
Sunday: 9 am - 7 pm
Please call for current deli counter service hours. Grab and go options available until closing.
2951 S. 38th Street
Tacoma, WA 98409