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Dominican Cacao Farmers Face the Aftermath of Hurricane Noel |
Ashley Symons, Marketing Writer
 Victor Diaz, a cacao farmer in the Dominican Republic, visited Equal Exchange in November just weeks after the worst tropical storm in the Dominican Republic this year. Hurricane Noel resulted in the death of 29 Dominicans - some of which were cacao farmers - and over 60,000 people were left homeless after the floods swept away their homes.
Diaz said the storm has had a "major impact on cacao production" for many of the farmers in Bloque 2, which is located in Yamasa. Equal Exchange partners with CONACADO co-op, an umbrella organization which oversees the nine bloques of small-scale farmers in the Dominican Republic. (Read more about Equal Exchange's relationship with CONACADO.)
Diaz said much of the winter cacao harvest in the Bloque 2 area will be lost, particularly for the farmers in El Buey. The Bloque 2 board of directors is working to assess the damages and make action recommendations to help with relief projects. He said people in the U.S. can help the affected communities recover and continue to develop by buying Fair Trade products made with cacao from the Dominican Republic.
"Buy Equal Exchange and Fair Trade cocoa products," Diaz said. "They are helping our community develop. They are helping us preserve our environment. By purchasing these products, you are co-operating in helping us achieve well-being for our families and development for our communities."
The small-scale farmers in CONACADO depend on Fair Trade premiums to make important and often essential improvements to their communities year-round – projects such as: rebuilding farmers' houses, repairing schools, providing children with school supplies, building drinking wells, repairing roads, building infrastructure to improve cacao quality, and giving scholarships to children of producers who wouldn't be able to attend college otherwise.
Cacao from small-scale farmers in the Dominican Republic can be found in all of Equal Exchange's chocolate bars, hot cocoa, and baking cocoa. They are available online at Equal Exchange's Retail Web Store and Interfaith Web Store.
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