Shopping to meet the locavore ethos ("eat local") is never simple, but taking a follow-the-money approach enables shoppers to support products that share their values. And this is where bananas come in. Buying Equal Exchange bananas from a local food co-op not only keeps money cycling through your community, but also ensures that communities of farmers in Ecuador and Peru are receiving a fair price for their products, which then keeps money flowing through their communities, as well. In a way, eating fair trade bananas gives you a local eater two-for-one, and you support both your community and the cooperative community of farmers that grew the fruit. It may not have been grown physically close to your co-op, but it creates an interconnected network of solidarity between communities.

Help us organize and mobilize our power as consumers to take back our food system from the tight hold of greedy corporations. Support Alternative Trade Organizations (ATOs) such as Equal Exchange, which is supporting dozens of farmer-owned cooperatives across the globe. The success of any ATOs in 2020 and beyond require a strong network of active consumers. Join us!