A Canadian story
A Canadian co-op
Camino is owned by La Siembra Co-operative in the Ottawa-Gatineau region of Canada. La siembra means “sowing” or “planting time” in Spanish, a symbol for the seeds of change we are sowing through our co-operative and fair trade business models.
A small mixing machine, a worthwhile idea and a few believers.
La Siembra was established in 1999 by three young entrepreneurs. Having worked overseas, the founders of La Siembra experienced the exploitative nature of trade on the lives of family farmers. These three friends decided to provide Canadian consumers with an alternative to conventionally traded products by establishing a worker-owned co-operative.
Humble beginnings
Year 1 was spent in the community kitchen of First United Church—a socially progressive church in Ottawa. As there was no fair trade certification system for cocoa-based products at that time, La Siembra’s founders adopted the guidelines of the Fair Trade Foundation. They began sourcing cocoa from a co-operative in Costa Rica and sugar from a mill supporting co-operative farmers in Paraguay. An organic recipe was developed and the founders began to manufacture and distribute a hot chocolate, sugar and cocoa line themselves.
Industry pioneers
In 2002, La Siembra worked with Fairtrade Canada (then Transfair Canada) to develop a certification system for cocoa, chocolate and sugar products in Canada and became the first registered importers of Fairtrade Certified cocoa and sugar in North America.
Many wins along the way
Check out the list of awards La Siembra Co-operative has won long the way.
Vision
We envision a world where people collaboratively build vibrant local and global communities, fostering diverse and sustainable economies through equitable trade and environmental stewardship.
Mission
We, the worker-owners of La Siembra Co-operative, are committed to a model of equitable trade rooted in co-operation and the social solidarity economy. We offer consumers high-quality ethical products through partnerships with producer co-operatives that foster sustainable livelihoods and community development. We believe in meaningful, dignified employment and are guided by the co-operative principles, by the Fair Trade principles, and by a respect for the environment.
