Blog — fair trade

Learn how pineapple cultivation in the Cauca region of Colombia has helped to bring peace to an area previously disrupted by drug production and unrest. Cesar (Nilsen Lucumi), Susanna, and Gustavo (Amaifi Bonilla) Balanta grow pineapple from their farm in Cauca. Even though they have formal education, and hold other jobs in Law and Human Resources, they never left agriculture. This family has deliberately chosen to stay in Cauca, through conflict and war. They advocate for pineapple production, a welcome alternative to coca, and are passionate members of the pineapple farmers' association - Asoagronorca (Agriculture Association of Northern Cauca). 

Bijit and Swapna: Role Models in Tea. The small-scale tea growers we work with have an incredible ability to empower their communities. Bijit and Swapna embody this empowerment. Not only are they a couple passionate about organic tea production, but they’re role models for their community. They are leaders, caring neighbours, and great human beings.    

Find out more about this fun and delicious fruit which is grown in South America! It's a dragon! No, it's a fruit! Well, actually ... it's a cactus. Dragon fruit is the delicious, yet dangerously spiky, yellow fruit that comes from cactus varieties in South America. In North America, we're accustomed to a bright pink dragon fruit, which typically comes from Asia.  In China the fruit is referred to as huǒlóng guǒ (火龍果), which translates to 'fire dragon fruit'! The juicy yellow dragon fruit we have is grown in Colombia - its real name is Pitahaya, but in English its nickname 'dragon fruit'...

Find out more about these flavourful little berries that are native to Peru and Colombia! Golden berries go by various names and sound mythical – berries made of gold! In the northern hemisphere, they’re commonly called ‘cape gooseberries’, (not to be confused with normal gooseberries). In their native countries of Colombia and Peru they are called ‘uchuva’ or ‘Peruvian groundcherries’, are known by ‘poha’ in Hawaii and are sometimes referred to by their scientific name of ‘physalis’ (although their full name is Physalis peruviana).  They are native to Peru and Colombia as the elevation in the mountainous slopes is perfect...