Ben & Jerry’s is supporting Fair Trade vanilla farmer cooperatives in Uganda. I recently had the pleasure of working with several of these cooperatives to improve the lives of their farmers.

Located in East Africa, Uganda has a population of approximately 40 million. According to the World Bank, income per capita is $676 and life expectancy 58 years in Uganda. (In the United States, 由 contrast, income per capital is estimated at $55,837 and life expectancy 79 years). Living standards in Uganda are low, but climate and soil conditions are favorable for numerous crops.

Uganda’s farmers...