2025 is a hard year to be a grown-up.
The list of worries is endless: from the rising cost of just about everything, the struggle to keep those we love safe and cared for, and the constant grind of trying to make a better life in a world that feels increasingly uncertain. No matter what side of the political aisle you are on, I think we can all agree — it’s rough out there and we all can use a little hope. For me, that hope recently came from the most unlikely of places — marketing emails from Kiva partners!
Two of Kiva’s long-time social enterprise investees, Diaspora Co. and Burlap & Barrel, sent messages that didn’t try to spin the moment. They didn’t hide the shock of the rising tariffs or pretend that everything was business as usual. But more importantly, they didn’t back down from what matters.
Protecting farmers, not profits: How Diaspora Co. responds to crisis
Diaspora Co. is a queer, woman-of-color-founded and -owned social enterprise that works directly with smallholder partners in South Asia operating sustainable farms. Diaspora Co. aims to reward quality and shorten (and make transparent) the supply chain. Diaspora has set premium wages with its farm partners (an average of 4x higher than commodity prices and 3x Fairtrade prices) that ensure smallholder partners and their workers are adequately compensated for their labor.
Kiva lenders have supported Disapora Co. since 2022. Their first loan for $50,000 helped them get started, and their second, larger loan built on their success with $100,000 to scale their impact.
The email they sent out recently included this touching message:
“So, despite the tariffs, we are committed to not lowering prices on any of our farm partners. Doing so would be antithetical to our mission and values.
We also know that every single one of us is feeling the panic and pinch of rising costs. So at this time, we won't be raising prices for you either… I don't know what new curveball the future holds, but I can promise that we're always walking the fine, squiggly line of making our spices as accessible to you as possible, whilst paying our partners as equitably as possible.”
Staying the course: Burlap & Barrel’s people-centered mission
Burlap & Barrel is a Public Benefit Corporation that works directly with smallholder farmers in 27 countries. Their mission is to connect home cooks and chefs with spices that are ethically sourced, transparently traded, and packed with flavor—while paying farmers significantly more than commodity rates. Kiva lenders first supported Burlap and Barrel in 2023 with a $100,000 loan. When Burlap and Barrel was ready to continue to grow, the community of Kiva lenders continued their support with $200,000, showing what is possible when people come together to do business differently and support companies doing the right thing.
Their recent email included:
“We can already see that the new tariffs will be bad for our business. How bad remains to be seen.
What we do know is that we're a social enterprise, and we will not cut payments to our partner farmers.
Now for the promise: we will not raise our prices in response to these tariffs. We already cap the prices on our core spices at $10, and we work hard to keep our products accessible with one of the lowest free shipping minimums on the internet.*"
This is what values-driven business looks like
Let that sink in.
At a moment when many companies are scrambling to protect their profit margins, these two social enterprises are choosing to protect their people and their customers. They doubled down on their commitments to their farmers, their customers, and their values.
For me, it's simple—this is how social enterprises show up in a crisis. That’s because for social enterprises, the mission isn’t a side note or a marketing strategy that they can drop when times get tough; it is their business model. There is no business without the mission.
At Kiva Social Enterprises, we’ve seen this time and time again. These are companies that are built to serve communities first. They embed equity, dignity, and sustainability into their supply chains—not because it’s trendy or because they think it’s what Gen Z consumers want to hear, but because it’s who they are. It’s how they started, and it’s how they plan to endure.
Social enterprises aren’t immune to global shocks — tariffs, climate change, inflation — they feel it all. But when the pressure hits, they lean into their values, not away from them. And that’s exactly the kind of leadership this moment needs.
So if you're feeling overwhelmed, disillusioned, or just tired of the way business usually works — look here. These are the companies showing us a different way forward.
And maybe that’s where we can find some hope.
Learn more about Kiva Social Enterprises here.
