Single Origin vs. Blends
Crop to Cup
Debunking Myths About Decaf
How to Steam Milk at Home
Natural vs. Washed Coffee
What is Specialty Coffee?
Collective fair trade
Fair trade has always been
at the core of Level Ground’s values and has been a key component of our sourcing since 1997, we useduse various standards and components to allow more farms and co-operatives to be sourced from when purchasing coffee.
We believe there are many
paths to fair trade and we work with multiple programs to ensure the coffees we buy create positive impact for farmers and safeguards the eco-systems where the
coffee grows.
When we pay fair wages to farmers and co-ops, it allows that money to stay locally and support infrastructure growth, farming capacity and uplift the community
that grows and harvests the coffee.
This robust program considers
various global standards and provides Level Ground with superior coffee from a
variety of fair trade, fairly priced coffee farms.
Is specialty grade
All of our coffee that we source is the highest grade and quality that can be sourced. Whether its a single origin or blend, we source coffee that is SCA cupped and graded pre-shipment, upon arrival and post-roast.
Grown by small-scale farmers who are members of a co-operative
Most coffee farmers have small crops and harvests, and being members of a co-operative can assist them both in a production and export capacity so that everyone wins - and keeps them financially stable during the off-season
Is from a GCP-recognized sustainable coffee program
Doing our due diligence is important for both farmers and the end product. Using various programs including the Global Coffee Platform, makes sure the coffee that we're sourcing aligns with our values as an organization, while also being certified to various international standards.
Because our coffee is grown in high-altitude, mountainous regions, accessibility to general resources and transportation are not always available. Paying fair prices allows the community to strengthen and grow, especially as these are temperamental, sensitive growing areas.
Our core purchasing criteria includes
Welcome to our store
Collective Fair Trade was built using various international fair trade
programs to maximize farmer benefits – for this coffee crop and future harvests. Coffee isn’t created equal and various coffee regions have different challenges, however the largest one impacting various coffee-growing regions is
climate change. Most coffee farms are within equatorial regions, which are the first impacted by increasing temperatures and climates. Fair prices help them between harvests, if there’s an off-year or as we’re seeing more and more, internal dire climate change.
CFT prices paid to farmers give them the opportunity to build infrastructure at a community level that can help increase harvest yield, sanitation and their overall farming and export
practices – in various ways.