HRN Community Sessions
Rodney North of Equal Exchange
Rodney North and Equal Exchange have been providing alternative markets for food goods for small farmers across the world. Mariana Cotlear sits down with Rodney to talk about the true definition of fair trade, economics, and the history of Equal Exchange. Find out how the organization was founded around importing Nicaraguan coffee during the Reagan and Bush years despite a tight trade embargo. How does Equal Exchange circumvent "the middle man" to pay fair wages to producers and growers? Learn more about fair trade certification, and why certain certification measures will allow for plantation-grown crops to be labeled, despite a less-than-friendly market approach. This segment has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.