Fair Trade

Red Tomato has deep roots in the Fair Trade movement. We were born out of a belief that the principles of fair trade apply to farmers in the U.S. as well as farmers globally. Red Tomato co-director and founder, Michael Rozyne, was a co-founder of the fair trade coffee company, Equal Exchange. After ten years at Equal Exchange, he began Red Tomato. Fast forward another ten years: Red Tomato and Equal Exchange partner with a Dutch fair trade company, AgroFair, to launch Oké USA, the first 100% fair trade tropical fruit company in the U.S.

Red Tomato is a charter member of the Domestic Fair Trade Association. A complete list of the Principles guiding the work of the domestic fair trade movement in the U.S. can be found on their website. 

Fair Trade starts with trust, honesty, dignity, and basic fairness in our dealings with farmers, buyers, and all of our partners. At a minimum, fair trade means relationships with farmers that are based on:

• Transparency and accountability
• Fair and stable pricing
• Shared risk and affordable credit
• Long-term trade relationships
• Fair trade is essential, both globally and here in the United States, if family farmers are to have a sustainable livelihood and remain a vital part of our food system.