Equal Exchange presents itself as a worker-owned cooperative using democratic one-member-one-vote governance. That places Equal Exchange high on Ownership: decisive control is held by workers, users, members, or another stakeholder class rather than outside capital. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary.

Equal Exchange describes more than 100 worker-owners with equal stakes and equal votes, open-book management, free speech, and equitable resource distribution. That places Equal Exchange high on Governance: binding decisions are meaningfully answerable to people inside or affected by the institution. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary.

Equal Exchange describes open-book democratic ownership and equitable distribution of resources, provides evidence for the relevant scoring judgment surplus allocation is structurally tied to worker ownership and producer relationships. That places Equal Exchange high on Extraction: surplus is structurally routed toward workers, producers, users, or public benefit instead of being primarily captured upward. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary.

Equal Exchange states that its worker-owners define its mission and operate under democratic cooperative principles, provides evidence for the relevant scoring judgment. That places Equal Exchange high on Labor Sovereignty: workers or participants have unusually strong formal power over work, conditions, or the institution itself. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary.

Equal Exchange says its mission includes long-term economically just trade partnerships and relationships between farmers and consumers, extending value to small-farmer organizations outside the firm. That places Equal Exchange high on Solidarity with the Unemployed: the institution materially supports people outside ordinary employment rather than treating exit as abandonment. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary.

Equal Exchange says it was founded to challenge a trade model favoring large plantations, agribusiness, and multinationals, supporting a loss-bearing mission constraint. That places Equal Exchange high on Loss-Bearing Fidelity: the institution is structured to absorb real costs rather than shifting losses onto weaker parties. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary.

Equal Exchange states that it buys from small farmer organizations and uses a fair trade model for its core products. That places Equal Exchange high on Market Conduct: pricing, access, switching, and bargaining practices show restraint compared with ordinary rent-seeking competitors. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary.

Equal Exchange says it sources from more than 40 small farmer organizations and uses a fair-trade model for core products, supporting product-integrity confidence. That places Equal Exchange high on Product Integrity: the core offering is genuinely useful and comparatively less dependent on traps, degradation, or harmful dependencies. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary.

Equal Exchange reports a multi-organization worker-cooperative/fair-trade network with more than $80 million in annual sales, showing that the model has scaled beyond a boutique operation. That places Equal Exchange high on Scale Integrity: growth appears compatible with accountability, quality, and stakeholder benefit. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary.