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Direct Fair Trade

Jairo and Mom. Congratulations on your new job as an agronomist with the Colombian Coffee Federation

Famicafé Graduate hired as an Agronomist with the Colombia Coffee Federation

Congratulations Jairo!

This story is an example of Direct Fair Trade at work.  

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Barton and Trezia

A Visit with Barton & Trezia

Tanzanian Producer Profile

Barton Mbwaga and his wife Trezia are a part of the community of HOPE Organic farmers who grow coffee which is purchased by Level Ground Trading and sold as Café Mbeya.

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Tedesse

Touring Tadesse's Farms

Ethiopian Producer Profile

Often when we asked farmers if we could see their farm they would hesitate. The reason for the hesitation was that many of them have a number of scattered, tiny plots (i.e.

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Pedro

Actual Payment to Farmers

Is the farmer better off with Direct Fair Trade?

Over the last twelve years, Hugo Ciro (president of Level Ground Trading) has visited producer regions to meet with farmers, cooperatives, and exporters. more

Jaime

Jaime Vargas' Biodigestor

In September of 2007, four Level Ground employees, agronomist Juan Valez, former Famicafe student Liliana Franco, Famicafe director Julian Toro, and coffee farmer Jaime Marin toured the Andes mount

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Felix & Gabriel

Direct Fair Trade and Producer Impact

An Overview of Level Ground's trade in each community

Historically, Level Ground Trading has paid 53% more than conventional importers of coffee and 26% more than the FLO/Transfair price.

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Sorting Parchment

Visiting Tanzania

A slideshow of our latest visit to Tanzania

What's life like for a coffee farmer in Tanzania? Get a glimpse through a slideshow of photos. more

Liliana at Famicafé

Famicafé

Our partners in Colombia

Fundación Familias Cafeteras, Famicafé (Coffee Families Foundation) is a registered Colombian non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to improving the lives of families in

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Getting Involved

Direct Fair Trade

Direct Fair Trade means getting involved

Level Ground Trading envisions a world wherein lifestyles are simpler, relationships are deeper and justice is inherent in each exchange.

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Jaime with Vegetation

Traceability to Origin

Direct Fair Trade happens where the boot hits the dirt

In 2005, Level Ground Trading and Colombian agronomist Juan Velez had several objectives in mind when they began working closely with 25 small-scale coffee farming families who grow Café San

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Ethiopian Children

Visiting Ethiopia

A slideshow tour of Hugo & Stacey's 2008 trip

Level Ground's Hugo, Stacey (& Ezra) visited coffee farmers in Yrigalim Ethiopia and brought back lots of photos and stories.

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IFAT's FTO Logo

Reporting on Direct Fair Trade

Level Ground Trading Pilots the Sustainable Fair Trade Management System

How do we know if an organization that says they are selling Fair Trade products are really on the ground ensuring fair trade is happening, especially when they don’t purchase through a FLO c

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Don Cesar Pareja

Producers and the Environment

Supporting farmers as they work with the earth

Our producer partners are our environmental role models.

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Fruandes Workers

Fruandes Ltda. Colombia SA

Our Partner Fair Trade Organization

Fruandes Ltda. is a Colombian Fair Trade Organization started by Level Ground Trading in 2002. Seed capital, business expertise and training were supplied in order to establish a company that would provide a fair market for fruit grown by small-scale farmers and employment for disadvantaged women in Bogotá, Colombia.

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Famicafé Boarding House

Direct Fair Trade Initiatives

Profiling our friends who live, eat and breathe fair trade in producer communities.

You've seen this saying on our packaging Direct Fair Trade means getting involved. What does getting involved look like? For us, it means lots of visiting and listening and then it means lots of furrowed brows, brainstorming and questions and finally it means supporting our partners with time, energy, money and other resources to create solutions.

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Calculating payment in Ethiopia

Accountability

How can I be sure it is Fair Trade?

When you purchase a fair trade product, you are making a conscious decision to vote with your dollars.

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Montano Family

The Montaño Family

Bolivian Producer Profile

Arriving at the Montaño’s homestead in September we were welcomed in the classic Aymara way: dance, song, gifts and gratitude.

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Ripe, Red Coffee Cherries

Fair Trade Sourcing

The process of preparing green coffee for export in Tanzania

Ever wondered how coffee goes from a farmer's tree to a shipping container? Here's an overview of how Café Mbeya arrives at our doorstep. If you're still curious after reading this overview there are some more nitty gritty at the bottom of this article.

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