Celebrating National Co-op Month: Empowering Smallholder Farmers through Cooperative Partnerships

As we step into October, a month that celebrates both Fair Trade and National Co-op Month, I find myself reflecting on the vital role smallholder farmers play in our global food systems. At Frontier Co-op, we’ve always been dedicated to fostering the resilience of smallholder farmers, and the cooperative model along with fair trade practices plays a key role in that mission.?

Smallholder farmers are the backbone of global agriculture. Around the world, 600 million farmers operate on less than two hectares of land, yet they contribute roughly 30% of the world’s food supply (World Economic Forum).

This includes the global spice supply chain, where their work is critical to the products Frontier Co-op brings to market. These farmers not only grow the natural and organic spices, herbs, and botanicals that end up on our shelves but also play a pivotal role in preserving biodiversity, protecting their local economy, and ensuring food security for their communities.?

As a company, we recognize the importance of trading commodities fairly and supporting these farmers in ways that create long-term sustainability. That’s why our partnership with USAID ’s Cooperative Development Program through our Safe Processing in Cooperative Enterprises (SPICE) project has been such an important part of our source development work since 2018. This multi-year project was designed to support smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka, India, and Guatemala, helping them overcome infrastructure challenges, skills or technology gaps, and climate-related pressures.?

The cooperative model empowers farmers and their communities to take control of their futures. Working with partners like Sri Lanka’s Small Organic Farmers' Association (SOFA), Fedecovera RL in Guatemala, and Young Mountain Tea (YMT) in India, we’ve seen firsthand the deep and lasting impact this approach can have.?

In India, our partnership with Young Mountain Tea has helped establish the first farmer-owned tea processing facility in the Kumaon region, where 90% of the farmers involved are women.

This initiative in India transformed not just the economic landscape but also social structures, allowing these women to earn five times the normal commodity rates and hold an ownership stake in the facility.?

In Guatemala, working with our long-time partners at FEDECOVERA, who represent 33,000 small-scale farmers, has allowed us to introduce new processing techniques that have significantly increased the value of their crops. These techniques, such as steam pasteurization and sterile handling, ensure that farmers can maintain that value at origin, receiving higher rates for their cardamom, allspice, and turmeric on the global market, directly benefiting the farming families.?

And in Sri Lanka, the SPICE project has enabled over 3,500 farmers to improve their crop yields through agricultural extension trainings focused on sustainable practices. These trainings have already begun to show results, with farmers reporting better handling and processing of their spice, tea, coconut, and herb crops.?

This work aligns perfectly with our values as a company and our commitment to sourcing organic, sustainable, and fairly traded products. Smallholder farmers are a critical part of our supply chain, and supporting their resilience through cooperative models and fair trade practices ensures not only the quality of our products but also the well-being of the communities that grow them.?

As we begin this month-long celebration of Fair Trade and National Co-op Month, I’m reminded that the success of these projects relies on local leadership and empowerment. The remarkable people we work with in these communities are doing the important work—they are the ones driving change, protecting their land, and building brighter futures for the next generation.?

A heartfelt thank you to all of our project partners for your dedication, and to the USAID Cooperative Development Program for making this work possible. You’ve laid the foundation for something truly remarkable, and I can’t wait to see how these communities continue to grow and thrive in the years to come.?

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- Alicia Simmons , Senior Sustainability Manager Frontier Co-op