Our History
(Français)
Just Haiti was formed in July 2007 and is a Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit corporation governed by a Board of Directors.
We began with the vision of taking fair-trade-plus to one community, Baraderes, Haiti, a community where the founders already had a long-term relationship through their work with a sister parish program.
The goal was to work with that community of traditional coffee growers to regenerate their business, which had collapsed in the 1980s, in a way that benefited the growers, rather than just coffee exporters or speculators.
In 2008, Just Haiti imported a little over 300 pounds of coffee from the 24-member coffee association in Baraderes, called KDB, and marketed it in the United States. In 2012, that total has expanded to 10,000 pounds and KDB has grown to 100 members. Just Haiti has now expanded to work with other coffee grower communities throughout Haiti.
Just Haiti works with the most vulnerable and economically at-risk communities, who would not otherwise have access to our technical assistance and market development. We seek communities that already have a US-based partner, such as a church or non-profit organization, which is in agreement with the Just Haiti vision. Just Haiti pays the fair trade price up front — without any reductions–then exports, roasts, packages, and sells the coffee in the United States. Afterward, all profits go directly to the growers and their families.