Why Support Farmers

Once upon a time most of each dollar that was spent on food went to those who grew it. Today almost none of it does...

Small organic farmers are the true unsung heroes of our time who still practice truly sustainable agriculture. That is, they are the ones who know how to grow our food in such a way that is not harmful to our own health, to their own health and the health of their families, and to the health of all life.

Sadly, small organic farmers have gotten the short end of the stick in our current global commerce system. It’s nobody's fault in particular, it’s a consequence of complex trends and dynamics. But it is our collective opportunity to proactively support the kind of commerce that supports right livelihoods and good lives for the farmers who feed us.

We will only be successful if behind every product we share with you, are countless ways in which the lives of those who grew it, harvested it, produced it and brought it to you are affected for the good.

We are tremendously inspired by the fair trade movement in which consumers and businesses are voluntarily paying more than what is established by pure economic market conditions, actually "valuing" fairness. It is one of our goals and hopes to support, promote and help to grow this movement.

All of our chocolate is certified Fair Trade by TransFair USA. Fair Trade empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace. By guaranteeing minimum floor prices and social premiums, Fair Trade enables producers to invest in their farms and communities and protect the environment.

Our dried Mangos are certified by the Rainforest Alliance. Our mango certification was the first time the organization ever certified a dried fruit! The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.

This is what one of our farmers had to say about the Rainforest Alliance.

"Taking care of our land and the families who work on it is natural to us. It is hard to imagine this is not important to everyone. We never thought that we would get international recognition for it. But when Kopali brought the Rainforest Alliance to certify our mangos and our way of doing business, we realized doing the right thing is finally giving us a competitive edge!"

- Ernesto Rivera, Sinaloa MX