Alter Eco co-founders, Tristan Lecomte in France, Mathieu Senard and Edouard Rollet in the United States and Ilse Keijzer in Australia were trained in business but remain activists at heart. Before starting Alter Eco over a decade ago, they had experienced first-hand both profit-driven multinationals and on-the-ground NGOs. Seeing the challenges of existing humanitarian aid efforts, they became pioneers in social entrepreneurialism, wielding their business acumen to fight for social and economic justice. Alter Eco is based on the premise that food is fundamental to life – and whole, healthy, delicious food can make life better for people all over the world. By working directly with the small-scale farmers who grow our quinoa, rice, sugar and chocolate, helping them institute Fair Trade and Organic practices and assisting them in improving both quality of food and quality of life, we’re creating a system that benefits everyone involved.