Often referred to as Direct Fair Trade, the goal of our work is to trade fairly and directly with small-scale producers in developing countries, and to market their products in North America offering our customers ethical consumer choices.

We say Direct because we import products directly and travel to the countries where our products are grown, building relationships with producers and seeking to understand how trade can best support them.

We say Fair because our mission is to return the highest possible price to the farmers who grow the coffee while upholding a comprehensive set of Fair Trade tenets.

Our goal is supported by the World Fair Trade Organization, who has designated us in recognition of our efforts as a Fair Trade Organization.

10 Tenets we are committed to:

• Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers - Level Ground Trading's mission is to trade fairly and directly with small-scale producers in developing countries, offering our customers ethical consumer choices.

• Transparency and accountability - Level Ground Trading is committed to operating transparently and with accountability in the market place. We do this by reporting trading arrangements on our website, publishing initiatives and updates with producer groups, making these documents accessible to the producer groups, and visiting producer groups to ensure product prices are translating to direct payment to farmers.

• Capacity building - Level Ground Trading, and the producer organizations with which we work with, are committed to investing in activities, which strengthen the knowledge, abilities and skills of producers and producer groups so they can effectively meet their mission and goals.

• Promoting Fair Trade - Annually, Level Ground attends over 100 community events and public engagement opportunities with the intention to share knowledge of Direct Fair Trade, to connect with future partners, and to engage in dialogue with community members and Fair Trade advocates.

• Payment of a fair price - Level Ground is committed to paying a fair price to farmers and producers; we are committed to meeting or exceeding the FLO Fair Trade price standards and seek to ensure farmers receive at least 65% of the price we pay - learn more.

• Gender Equity - Level Ground Trading seeks to work with producer organizations where women's work is properly valued and equally rewarded.

• Positive Working conditions - Level Ground Trading seeks to work with producer organizations that are committed to promoting independence and positive work conditions that meet and respect international conventions on labour standards.

• Child Labour - Level Ground Trading seeks to work with producer groups that respect the ILO Legislation on the employment of children, in addition to local laws and customs.

• Environmental responsibility - At home and at producer regions, Level Ground is committed to supporting sustainable environmental practice.

• Ethical trade relations - Level Ground is committed to building and sustaining long term trade relationships with all our partners that are founded on dialogue, trust and mutual respect and have a goal of continual improvement.