Inclusive Trade Program
Diversity is strength
Co-ops around the country are committed to fostering diverse and inclusive communities. Look for the orange inclusive trade signs to find brands and products that are owned by people who identify as women, Black, indigenous, people of color (POC), LGBTQIA+, persons with disabilities and veterans.
Below is a list of just some of the amazing Inclusive Trade brands we carry at the Co-op.
Ibraheem Basir is the founder and CEO of A Dozen Cousins, a natural food brand inspired by traditional Creole, Caribbean and Latin American dishes. He grew up in Brooklyn, a melting pot of many ethnicities, and was closely integrated with the Black and Latino community. In different parts of the world, these two groups are distinct entities – but not in Ibraheem’s experience. Many of his peers identified as both Black and Latino, and growing up with that community heavily influenced the music Ibraheem listened to, the foods that he ate, and his overall cultural experience. In hopes of translating his own community into a food-centric brand, he founded A Dozen Cousins in 2019.
In 1996, Olowo-n’djo Tchala met Peace Corps volunteer Prairie Rose Hyde in Togo, West Africa. Inspired by their shared calling to do right by the world, they started Alaffia in 2003, a social enterprise on a mission to invest in a more equitable future. Alaffia continues to redefine the natural products industry through their values of Beauty, Equality and Empowerment. Their skin and haircare essentials are made with fair trade ingredients handcrafted at their women-led co-ops in West Africa. With the goal to alleviate poverty and encourage gender equity, they focus on education, maternal health and environmental sustainability.
Judy Yokoyama, known to her family as Bachan, was born in Sebastopol in 1936. One of six kids, her family was a cornerstone from the start. From her time at Camp Amache internment camp to living and working on an apple ranch, her childhood was challenging but filled with joy surrounded by family. She inherited a hard work ethic, which she has passed down. Justin, who always shared her values, fondly remembers Bachan listening for hours as he shared his childhood entrepreneurial dreams. Justin is proud to say that the Japanese Barbecue Sauce that they finally brought to market in 2019 is a true and sound representation of the sauce that my family made during the holidays for so many years.
A new culture of casual dining emerged in the 90s, and Sameer Malhotra’s family launched Cafe Spice in New York City. Cafe Spice focused on fun and experimentation, rather than the fine, sometimes stuffy settings seen in typical Indian restaurants at the time. Sameer’s father, Sushil, brought the essence of Indian flavors to America; and Sameer wants to bring the essence of Asia—exotic flavors, bold ingredients, and wonderful aromas—to your home, no matter where you are.
Caulipower was born as a Pinterest fail. Really. As the mom of two boys with celiac disease — an autoimmune disease leaving their bodies unable to process gluten — Gail Becker tried desperately to find nutritious, gluten-free options that weren’t filled with fat, sugar, salt and calories. When Pinterest failed to provide a good-tasting, good-looking, easy recipe for cauliflower pizza crust, Gail left her job to develop one. The result? Caulipower!
Clearly Balanced Days was founded by Tina White in 2017. The original plan was to create all-natural pet products, but after discovering the vast world of CBD, they quickly were sucked right in. From then on Clearly Balanced Days goal was not only to provide the best CBD available, but also to provide people with the most up-to-date and accurate information about CBD, the CBD industry, and the endocannabinoid system and how it works in our bodies. They are a small local business (right here in Concord, NH!) and put their hearts and souls into providing only the highest quality products.
In 1995, at only 15 years old, GT Dave, Founder & CEO of GT’s Living Foods, began bottling kombucha in the kitchen of his parents’ Southern California home. Inspired by his mom, Laraine, GT wanted to share kombucha in its true, unfiltered form so that everyone, everywhere could enjoy its healthy and healing benefits.
Now, under the umbrella of GT’s Living Foods, they’ve expanded their offerings beyond kombucha and are proud to say they remain a family-owned and -operated company — always cultured, never compromised.
Maya French is a Co-Founder of Koia, the protein packed, 100 percent plant-based beverage that uses natural ingredients to deliver deliciously nutritious flavors. French struggled with food-based allergies, such as being lactose intolerant her whole life, until she discovered the benefits of plant-based proteins when college friend and fellow Koia Co-Founder, Dustin Baker, was testing out recipes in his Chicago kitchen. At this moment, French realized her calling was to create a functional product that would contribute to providing consumers with a healthier lifestyle.With only experience in journalism and fashion retail, French took a leap of faith into unknown territory to follow her dreams and partnered with Baker to launch Koia.
Tinashe Nyamudoka emigrated from Zimbabwe to South Africa in 2008 with no knowledge of the wine industry. He worked his way up from a waiter to an award-winning sommelier before founding his own company, Kumusha Wines.
Kumusha is a Shona word that means “your home” or “your roots”. He wanted to build a brand that would remind an African audience of home, and of their roots. So he incorporated unique African flavours that he had grown up with in Zimbabwe, such as the gaka and matamba fruits.
Maison Noir is a two-fold lifestyle project producing both a T-Shirt line and Oregon wines. Founded by sommelier André Hueston Mack in 2007, both ends of Maison Noir incorporate a trademark attitude and personal perspective on wine subculture. The wines are unique and distinctive garage wines, initially created for some of the New York’s best restaurants for whom Mack was a sommelier and now available nationwide.
M & E Farm
Father Esau, owner of M & E Farm, seasonally provides a variety of goods, such as dried hibiscus, nutmeg, and produce, to the Co-op. He grows here locally in NH, as well as on his farm in Jamaica.
Stephanie Zydenbos is the Owner, CEO, facilitator, and kimchi hustler extraordinaire of Micro Mama’s in Weare NH, who makes living probiotic fermented organic foods for the well being of people, places, and things. One of Stephanie’s greatest satisfactions is working with plants and the natural world to achieve mutually beneficial and innovative solutions that impact the challenges facing local food webs, local economies, and for the joy of introducing the ancient tradition of fermented vegetables which produce diverse health, and taste benefits that consumers, chefs, food service directors, and the health care professionals are craving and demanding.
Marygrace Sexton started Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company on Thanksgiving of ’89. At the time, Natalie’s only squeezed orange & grapefruit juices in a facility that measured 1,000 sq. ft. After 30 years, the legacy set forth by Marygrace continues to flourish as the company has grown from a local operation to a global one. Natalie’s is now sold in over 32 states & 50 countries. What started as a small family-inspired dream team of four, has grown into a brand with an international presence & over 175 team members throughout the country. Natalie’s keeps it simple, which is why there are minimal ingredients in each juice. No preservatives. No artificial ingredients. No GMOs. Nothing to deter you from the optimal health that lives within each bottle of Natalie’s juice.
Pipcorn was born in 2012, when Jeff Martin was helping his sister, Jen move apartments. With everything packed up except a bag of tiny heirloom popcorn kernels that Jen found in the Chicago health food store where she worked, they popped batch after batch of the most delicious popcorn they’d ever had! They liked this one so much, they tracked down the Indiana farmer who grew it from his family’s heirloom seed stock. Together with Jeff’s wife, Teresa, they created a new company, Pipsnacks™.
“We are proud to be a women-owned, minority-owned, family business.”
Fifteen years ago while studying holistic nutrition, Elizabeth Stein learned about the powerful effect that nutritious food has on the body. But, when she looked at grocery shelves, the options were limited for nourishing foods that people would actually enjoy. So she set out to create products that didn’t have a trade-off between nutritious ingredients and culinary taste to help people thrive on their wellness journey. Purely Elizabeth products are non-GMO project verified, certified gluten-free, certified made with organic ingredients, certified vegan, contain no artificial additives or soy, and are made with innovative, nutrient-rich ingredients that add delicious flavor and texture to foods.
Siete Family Foods is a mission-based company, passionate about making and sharing real food, gathering together in authentic community, and advocating for healthier lifestyles among Latino families. As a teen, co-founder and president Veronica Garza started a low-inflammation diet to address her autoimmune conditions. Her family loved the grain-free tortillas she made so much that they started Siete Family Foods.