An Overview of Level Ground's trade in each community
Fair Trade premiums in Colombia provided 118 school scholarships to kids in the coffee growing region
Historically, Level Ground Trading has paid 53% more than conventional importers of coffee and 26% more than the FLO/Transfair price.
Cafe San Miguel, Colombia
In 2008 67% of the price went directly to the coffee farmers and an additional 15% was invested in the community through Famicafé. Famicafé is a non-profit NGO that invests in education, job creation and organic initiatives.
In 2007 we imported 10 shipping containers of coffee from Colombia and saw the following impact:
- 118 school scholarships and 14 university scholarships for children in the coffee growing region
- Funding for Hogar Pro-Juventud, a boarding house for rural students attending high-school in Andes, Colombia
- Joint educational projects with Hogar Juvenil Campesino and 32 rural schools
- Support to coffee farming families in crisis through a benevolent fund
- School scholarships and health benefits for the families of women working at Fruandes fruit processing plant in Bogotá, Colombia.
Café La Paz, Bolivia
Café La Paz is purchased by Agricabv in Los Yungas. The price paid by Level Ground Trading has exceeded the FLO Fair Trade price by 26% and of that 67% has been paid directly to farmers, an additional 6% has been invested in the coffee farming community through wage support of a social worker, educational scholarships, computer equipment purchases and medical/dental traveling brigades.
This year in Bolivia, Agricav offered education training to farmers on cherry quality with the intention to build knowledge and product quality. In co-operation with Level Ground Trading, Agricav also used premiums to solve a community’s quality and quantity coffee bottleneck through the advance payment a micro-lot. The advance payment and high premiums, paid by Level Ground Trading, were used towards the purchase of a coffee dryer, which the community now uses to improve coffee quality. Read more
Café Pangoa, Peru
CAC Pangoa is a 700+ member, FLO Cooperative in San Martin de Pangoa, Peru. CAC Pangoa is a progressive organization and is strong in leadership, gender equality and innovation. They have worked together to diversify crops and product offerings. They have utilized fair trade premiums for credit programs, crop diversification, women's organization promotion, insurance, infrastructure improvements and technical assistance.
In 2009, CAC Pangoa employed field agronomists to assist farmers in the production of their coffee crops, and to assist in diversifying farms to produce cacoa, honey and sacha. CAC Pangoa also offered training on subjects such as self-esteem, organic practices, health and safety and rules of the co-operative. The Co-op continues to invest in improving roads, buildings schools and the hydro power plant, which generates power for 80% of the town.
74% of the price we pay to CAC Pangoa goes directly to Farmers as a cash payment, an additional 13% is invested in the community under the direction of the Coop.
Level Ground Trading will import 2 containers from this producer group in 2008.
Café Mbeya, Tanzania
For the 3,812 farming families who comprise the HOPE Project, sales of the coffee they grow typically yields 50% or more of the annual family income. That means that the Level Ground Trading purchases of coffee from this region will translate to 50% or more of the household income for approximately 1300 farming families this year.
Additionally, the prices being paid are higher than those paid by coffees grown in the same area and help support the ongoing organic farming practices of the HOPE Project farmers.
- In 2008/2009 farmers received knowledge and training on soil conservation and prevention of erosion, how to produce and store compost, shade growing, pruning mulching, and mechanisms to keep drinking water uncontaminated. At the milling factory and at the farmer level, training on quality and crop estimates were also provided. At the milling plant, premiums were invested in health care for the “mamas” and their families. The last payment of 4,925,000TZS was made to the health insurance scheme on 15th March 09. This payment was covering 985 people, including some of Lima's casual laborers.
Café Awasa, Ethiopia
In 2009, Level Ground purchased two containers of coffee, and is scheduled to purchase two more in 2010.
The co-op has 3094 member farmers representing a total population of 27,307 people.
We've worked hard to see the farmers receive both more money and a greater percentage of the money we pay for Ethiopian coffee. Many families are poor and until the past 3 years when Level Ground Trading started to purchase their coffee - the coffee prices they were receiving through other buyers were very low. For example, prices in 2001 and 2002 were only 25% of what they are receiving now through our Direct Fair Trade partnership. Farmers in the Fero Co-op do not generally have any other sources of cash besides the coffee they grow.
In 2008/2009 Level Ground Trading's purchases represented the cash income for 587 farming families. The negotiations we are undertaking on behalf of the farmers should have them paid higher than they were last year. As we heard time and again from the farmers - when they receive good payment for their coffee they have the means to eat better, access better education for their children and afford health care treatment. In 2009, farmers received Fair Trade Premiums, in the form of a dividend
Frutos de los Andes and Panela de los Andes, Colombia
Fruandes employs up to 45 full-time and part-time employees in a given year. In addition to providing a fair wage (20% above government standards), Fruandes provides employees with health care, education, and micro-credit loans.
- Three employees have since completed their high school education
- Three employees are currently working towards completing their high school education
- One employee is currently enrolled in a business administration degree program.
- Three employees have successfully purchased homes, allowing them to move out of Cazuca, a refugee settlement on the outskirts of Bogotá.
