Equifruit has been selected as the winner of the Sustainable Business Award at the CanadianSME Small Business Awards 2025, in recognition of its leadership in ethical sourcing, responsible growth, and initiatives to create a more equitable global banana business. Equifruit won in the Sustainable Business category.
The company was also recognized as a finalist in the 2025 awards process. Equifruit, founded in 2006, is a Quebec-based importer and marketer of Fairtrade bananas. The women-owned company seeks to ensure that banana growers and workers are fairly compensated while also pushing higher labour, environmental, and community standards across the supply chain.
Building a Fairer Banana Business
Bananas are among the most popular fruits in North America, yet their consistently low retail prices may mask substantial supply chain issues. Traditional banana production has been linked to price pressures, low wages, poor working conditions, and environmental degradation. Equifruit was founded to challenge this model, putting Fairtrade principles at the heart of its business operations.
The company solely sources Fairtrade-certified bananas, ensuring that its producer partners receive at least the Fairtrade Minimum Price. This pricing method is intended to represent the local cost of sustainable production while providing farmers with better financial stability. Producer groups receive an additional Fairtrade Premium, which workers and farmers use to invest in their businesses and communities. These monies may be used to assist healthcare, housing, education, soil health, infrastructure, and climate resilience programs.
Two Decades of Fairtrade Sourcing
Equifruit was founded in 2006 by a mother-daughter partnership, and its first cargo of Fairtrade bananas arrived in Canada in December 2007. Jennie Coleman joined the company in 2013 and purchased it from the founders. Coleman now serves as President and co-owner alongside Kim Chackal.
Equifruit has expanded its distribution, strengthened its brand, and emerged as a leading advocate for ethical sourcing in the produce industry. The company sources bananas from producer communities in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico, and distributes them throughout Canada and the United States.
Creating Measurable Impact for Farming Communities
Equifruit’s first impact report, marking 20 years of Fairtrade sourcing, will be released in June 2026. Since 2006, the company’s operations have resulted in more than $5.8 million in Fairtrade Premiums for banana-farming communities in Central and South America. These rewards are paid directly to producer associations in addition to the fruit’s commercial price. Farmers and workers decide how the money is spent based on their local priorities, which include community healthcare, improved housing, agricultural projects, and climate adaptation. Equifruit revealed the figure in its first impact report and related company announcements.
Sustainability Beyond Environmental Practices
Equifruit’s sustainability model covers environmental, social, and economic issues. Environmentally, Fairtrade standards encourage responsible land management, safer agricultural methods, soil protection, and initiatives to help farming communities prepare for climate change threats. Social standards include regulations for workers’ rights, workplace safety, and protection from discrimination, forced labour, or child labour.
Equifruit’s purchasing approach aims to deliver greater certainty and fairer prices for farmers working in a commodity market characterized by significant pricing pressure. The company has also utilized its public platform to raise awareness about gender-based violence, exploitative labour practices, and the need for greater transparency in agricultural supply chains.
Becoming a Certified B Corporation
Equifruit earned Certified B Corporation accreditation in April 2024. The B Corp Certification assesses a company’s social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Equifruit achieved an overall B Impact Score of 91.1, exceeding the minimum qualifying score of 80. The company’s review includes governance, worker treatment, community partnerships, environmental performance, and customer effect. Equifruit has also implemented a mission lock in its governance structure. This is meant to maintain the company’s social and environmental responsibilities as it grows, and to ensure that stakeholder interests continue to be considered in decision-making processes.
A Women-Owned Canadian Business
Equifruit is a certified women-owned business under WEConnect International, led by Jennie Coleman and Kim Chackal. Coleman has become a prominent advocate for Fairtrade pricing and ethical supply chains, frequently asking merchants and customers to consider why bananas remain deceptively cheap compared to the costs of sustainable cultivation. The leadership team has proved that a purpose-driven organization can compete commercially without compromising on ethical sourcing criteria.
Combining Education With Bold Branding
Equifruit has gained recognition for combining humour, popular culture, and unorthodox marketing to explain important supply-chain challenges. Instead of communicating about Fairtrade solely through technical or institutional terminology, the company created a whimsical brand identity to make ethical bananas more appealing and accessible to consumers.
Equifruit used this method to earn the Fairtrade Innovation Award at the inaugural Fairtrade Global Awards in 2023. The prize commended its approach to reaching out to younger shoppers while also pushing consumers and merchants to think more critically about fair pay for farmers. The company advertises its long-term goal as “Global Fairtrade Banana Domination,” a comical phrase that reflects its desire to make Fairtrade bananas the norm rather than a specialty.
Business Growth With Purpose
Equifruit’s dedication to sustainability has coincided with significant commercial growth. For the fourth year in a row, the company was named one of Canada’s top growing businesses by The Globe and Mail in 2025. Equifruit was rated 174th after reporting a 195% sales growth over the previous three years. The company has achieved coast-to-coast distribution in Canada and has been recognized with various honours in grocery, produce, and sustainability.
Equifruit was recognized on The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing Women-Led Companies for the second year in a row, ranking 21st. These milestones show that ethical sourcing can be a fundamental company strategy rather than a separate corporate responsibility activity.
Recognizing Sustainable Business Leadership
The CanadianSME Sustainable Business Award recognizes companies that integrate environmental and social responsibility into their operations while demonstrating innovation, resilience, and commercial viability.
Equifruit’s award indicates a business approach in which expansion immediately boosts the company’s potential impact. As more Fairtrade bananas are sold, more farmer communities will benefit from Fairtrade pricing and premium investments. Equifruit is helping to reinvent sustainability in the food and agriculture industries by combining ethical sourcing, measurable community impact, responsible governance, and bold consumer education.
CanadianSME Small Business Magazine congratulates Jennie Coleman, Kim Chackal, and the entire Equifruit team on earning the Sustainable Business Award at the CanadianSME 2025 Awards. It recognizes their ongoing efforts to create a more equitable and accountable banana business.
Your role in staying up to date is integral to our shared mission of fostering a community of innovators. CanadianSME Magazine is a valuable treasure trove of entrepreneurial knowledge. Click here to subscribe to our monthly editions for updates on Canadian businesses. Follow our handle, @canadian_sme, on X to stay updated on all business trends and developments. Your support is crucial to our mission.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and is intended only for informational purposes. CanadianSME Small Business Magazine does not endorse or guarantee any products or services mentioned. Readers are advised to conduct their research and due diligence before making business decisions.
