Ottawa, Ontario, November 24th, 2020
A fair trade commitment, organic ingredients, and a natural and straightforward list of ingredients. These are the main reasons Camino’s consumers have been engaging with our brand for years.
We think that a bold mission deserves a bold look and feel for our Camino brand. So we created a new design for the baking line that puts the emphasis on the small-scale farmers with whom we work, on our Canadian democratic business model (a worker co-op), as well as on the simplicity of our premium fair trade and organic ingredients.
“Socially conscious home bakers across Canada have been loyal to Camino’s farmer-focused products for years. The new product packaging carries over the colour range associated with each package from before, but now further celebrates the innovative spirit that brings these alternative ingredients into their hands and homes.” – Liane Nadeau, Creative Director at Equal Exchange (La Siembra’s sister Co-op who partnered in the redesign project).
A swirl to show our interconnections
The Camino swirl has been on our packaging and logos since 1999. It 
represents the path that connects the farmers to the consumers and consumers to the farmers. With the new packaging, we have now chosen to display the Camino brand symbol more prominently to ease brand recognition and attract the eye.
“Using Camino’s iconic swirl as the focal point, the redesign centers the brand itself: a mission-driven company with ethical farmer-centred supply chains at its core. The Camino swirl and leaf motif – used as a product window – brings an infusion of joy and discovery for those looking for a natural, farmer-connected way to bring healthy and holistic sweets and treats into their families’ lives.” – Greta Merrick, Senior Designer at Equal Exchange.
Promoting a sustainable economic model
We recognize that there is an increasing need for Canadian consumers to reconnect with their food. They want to know where it comes from, who grew it, how it was produced and its impact on the environment and regional economies.
“Our main ingredients, cocoa beans and cane sugar, can’t grow in Canada. But our direct relationships with small-scale farmers exist to help facilitate this connection between the consumers and the growers in the South. Through our fair trade and organic practices, the consumers can be reassured that their dollars are being reinvested in building sustainable economies within our producer partners’ communities, and here in Canada.” – Mélanie Broguet, Marketing and New Product Development Manager, La Siembra Co-operative / Camino.
As 100% fair traders, our Co-operative La Siembra is working to empower small-scale farmers to organize themselves and build a dignified future for their children and their communities. But to take a holistic approach to fairness for consumers and producers, we are not only addressing the economic aspect; we are also addressing the health and ecological aspects. The organic farming systems and practices just do that. All the ingredients used to make Camino products are 100% organic for those reasons.
We also wanted to put the emphasis on the fact that Camino is a Canadian brand and that we are structured as a Canadian worker-owned co-operative, a democratic business model. The main purpose of a worker co-operative is to provide employment for its members through operating an enterprise that follows the Co-operative Principles and Values. The worker co-op is, in principle, designed to provide benefits not just to the founding members but also to all future employees/members.
“Customers who didn’t previously know that Camino is a Canadian worker-owned co-op may now have new incentive to support a progressive business model, identified by a prominent custom maple leaf badge on each package,” says Barry Ésau, formerly Senior Designer at Studio créatif Coloc and now Creative Director at Ézo Créatif (who partnered in the redesign project).
Keep an eye out, as the new Camino Baking line packaging has already started to arrive on store shelves. The complete rollout is expected by the end of this winter.
Camino’s baking line includes chocolate chips, cocoa powders, sugars, baking chocolate bars and coconut.
