Cooperation and Chocolate: The Story of One Colombian Community's Quest for Peace

After there was a fungal disease outbreak in the 1990s that affected cacao crops in Brazil, a group of 150 community members got together to collectively manage a farm to grow back cacao trees using agroforestry techniques. Because of their efforts, they sell their cacao to major chocolate brands and have seen their monthly income more than double.

A dairy cooperative in Ukraine has brought jobs to farmers in the region and allowed them to work together to sell their milk on the market. An international nonprofit helped the Andriyivka Prosperity cooperative get off the ground. While villagers were skeptical of joining at first, and there are still challenges with operating the cooperative, there are 129 members that sell their milk. “The cooperative has halted the extinction of the village, allowing young people to stay in their homelands and have jobs and a livelihood,” says one of the villagers.

After restaurants closed due to COVID-19 and tariffs were implemented on exports to China, fishermen and women in the United States had to shift their business model to sell directly to consumers. For example, Get Hooked, a subscription-based community-supported fishery in California that delivers daily catches to customers, saw their business double after the pandemic hit. This new model allows home cooks to support local suppliers and explore new foods.

Gakwi:yo:h Farms aims to increase the Seneca Nation’s food security and sovereignty by engaging in traditional agricultural practices. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the farm has been able to continue its work to establish a bison herd, tap more trees for maple syrup, and increase its various livestock operations. They still face challenges due to a lack of a food-processing plant, but they’ve been able to expand their land to keep food close to their community.

Coastal Shellfish, an Indigenous aquaculture company in British Columbia, is focusing on sustainable food and food security through its product Great Bear Scallops. This is the first project funded by the Costal Funds trust set up by donors, governments, and First Nations to support sustainable Indigenous-led businesses. The company has been selling scallops to several local businesses like restaurants and breweries.

The international seafood supply chain was disrupted in the wake of the pandemic but small fisheries in the northwest have tapped into new local markets. The fisheries, which generally depend on exporting seafood internationally as well as supplying restaurants, have found an interest among local consumers in fresh seafood that has led to community-supported fisheries and includes meal kits. Smaller operations have found it easier to pivot to regional customers and have taken the opportunity to build a stronger regional food system which creates a sustainable seafood market.

By collaborating with other businesses, nonprofits, and institutions, food processing enterprises in Montana are expanding the local supply chain to keep food in the state. The Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center packages food for a local grower's co-op, which distribute Montana products to individuals, grocery stores, and restaurants. The Livingston Food Resource Center created its own partnerships by buying its food from Montana farmers to give to people experiencing economic hardship. These collaborations are reducing the costs for local food processing, which also cuts down on costs for customers.

Cows will produce the same amount of milk no matter the demand for the product, and with supply staying steady and demand decreasing, a surplus of milk is thrown out routinely. Through a collaborative effort by farmers and a local non-profit in Pennsylvania, however, a solution has emerged that not only turns the extra milk into cheese and yogurt, but supplies the products to those in need.

Collaboration between the Hmong community, researchers, and park authorities in northern Thailand has allowed them to work together to restore the forest in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. Between 1997 and 2013, they used assisted regeneration to restoring 33 hectares of forest, which also increased the area’s natural flora and fauna. Because of their efforts, their approach is being implemented in tropical forests around the world, including Cambodia, Madagascar, and Tanzania.

The Indigenous Foods Knowledges Network (IFKN) connects Indigenous scholars, community members, and leaders from tribes in the Arctic and the U.S. Southwest to work together on achieving food sovereignty. By visiting each other’s lands, they share their traditional knowledge on farming practices and river restoration. Because of the network, they received a grant to study the effects of COVID-19 on food access for Indigenous communities. “We can learn from one another, teach each other, and also work together on finding different solutions,” said a member of the IFKN steering committee.