Equal Exchange Trading is a UK-based alternative trading organization. Equal Exchange is a workers co-operative distributing food and beverage products in the independent natural food sector. The organization's origins stretch back to 1979 "when three voluntary workers returned to Edinburgh after working on aid projects in various parts of Africa." Over 90% of the company's products are both Organic and

Fairtrade A fair trade certification is a product certification within the market-based movement fair trade. The most widely used fair trade certification is FLO International's, the International Fairtrade Certification Mark, used in Europe, Africa, ...

Priorities

Equal Exchange Trading insists on having its teas packed at source so that the economic benefits of this 'value-added' activity stay in the country and region of origin.

Achievements

*In 1991, together with

Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...

Traidcraft Traidcraft is a UK-based Fairtrade organisation, established in 1979. The organisation has two components: a public limited company called Traidcraft plc, which sells fairly traded products in the United Kingdom; and a development charity ca ...

Twin Trading Twin Trading was an alternative trading company in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1985 and was based in London. Twin Trading was wholly owned by Twin, a registered charity and membership organisation. It was co-founded by economist Michael ...

they launched

Cafédirect Cafédirect is a UK-based alternative trading organization. History Cafédirect was founded in 1991 by Oxfam, Traidcraft, Equal Exchange Trading and Twin Trading as a response to the 1989 global collapse in coffee prices. Its aims was to "gi ...

, the UK's first mainstream

coffee brand. *In 1998 they launched the first honey product to carry the Fairtrade Mark. *In 2005 their best-selling product, Medium Roast Coffee, becomes top-rated by Ethiscore. *In 2006 they became the first company in the United Kingdom to sign a license agreement with Ethiopia's Intellectual Property Office to distribute its trademarked coffees. *In 2007 together with

they helped to found Liberation Foods CIC, the UK's first and only 100% Fairtrade Nut company. *In 2009 they launched the world's first range Organic Fairtrade-certified

Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...

Extra Virgin Olive Oils. *In 2012 Equal Exchange won the Co-operatives UK "Small Co-op : Big Achiever" award at the International Co-operative Alliance EXPO

Awards

*2005, Equal Exchange Amazon Flame Brazil Nut Oil wins Gold Great Taste Award *2008, Equal Exchange nominated for Ethical Business of the Year at the Observer Ethical Awards

References

{{Reflist

External links

Equal Exchange Trading's official website
Alternative trading organizations Food and drink companies of Scotland Worker co-operatives of the United Kingdom Co-operatives in Scotland Companies based in Edinburgh