Blog — fair trade

Albeiro is a husband, father, and one of fifteen farmers who grow organic golden berries as a member of Biofruit NAPOLI. He is a trained Agronomist from Bogota.  He is a trained Agronomist from Bogota, Colombia. When his father, Hernan, joined the golden berry association, Albeiro moved back to Nariño to join his family. Albeiro holds a university degree, and is a great asset to the community where the average education ends at elementary school.  He is now the leader of Biofruit NAPOLI, the Golden Berry Association, and advocate for organic production. 

Meet Orlando, Leader of The Banana Farmers’ Association, And King Of Organic.   Even without a word of English, Orlando is one of the most hilarious people you will ever meet. His smile and laugh announce his presence everywhere he goes. Quick to make jokes, Orlando draws people near: family, friends, and visitors. But don't let that fool you - Orlando is dead serious about one thing: organic farming. Orlando's success has allowed him to spread the impact throughout his family. His brothers, who were stuck working in coca production, called Orlando to ask for help. His response: to take them in...

Meet Simon, Leader of The Dragon Fruit Farmers Association. Simon and his wife Nancy live just outside of Pitalito, Colombia. It's a small town, even by Colombian standards. The trek to Simon's farm is incredible, the colours of each building flash by as you ride in the back of his truck.  As the leader of the dragon fruit farmers association, Simon's role is to bring the five farmers together. He builds capacity, amalgamates orders and takes care of the members. The five members of the association consist of himself, his brother Fernando, and three men who used to be labourers on Simon's land. 

Green Tea Grower And Organic Champion. Someswar grows and processes tea for Level Ground's Green Tea. Remarkably, Someswar has been a Small Tea Grower since 1976. In fact, he was the first small tea grower registered in Assam! A small tea grower is someone who owns and operates a tea garden (like a sole proprietor) - often their garden is in their backyard or close to their home.