Community Agroecology Network

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Description

CAN is a U.S.-based non-profit organization with a mission to develop a network of rural communities and consumers that work together to support self-sufficiency and sustainable farming practices. After visiting several Latin American farming communities facing similar challenges, the founders, Steve Gliessman and Robbie Jaffe, initiated CAN in 2001, to link these communities in a grassroots effort to connect producers and consumers. CAN's network provides rural communities with the tools to become economically viable through agriculture while also benefiting the environment through: - Action research - farm-based research involving investigators and farmers with information generated from within and provided to the community; - Education - community education, technical assistance, leadership development, consumer education, and ongoing exchanges and participation between the member communities; - Marketing - development of producer-controlled markets that support local communities and create direct links with consumers. CAN communities mail coffee directly to consumers across the U.S. CAN has developed a "fair trade direct" coffee marketing system. By linking coffee co-ops in Central America with U.S. consumers, CAN helps farmers receive a just and sustainable price for their coffee. ...

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