On The Road
Random notes and musings from the front lines of fair trade
As we search the world for premium organic and fair trade coffee, we will be posting periodic updates from the field with news from the fair trade industry, reports about our partners in the field, cup quality information and updates from the many organizations and projects we support. From the Fair Trade Futures Conference in Chicago, to the National Coffee Cupping Labs of Addis Ababa, to the tear-gas filled streets of Quebec City, to the commencement of the Other Campaign in La Garrucha, Higher Grounds Trading Co. is there! We hope you enjoy our stories and experiences as we continue to grow our business as a sustainable and viable alternative to the corporate-driven/profit-centric model.
Check back for articles and updates!
Education in the Cradle of CivilizaitonEducation in the Cradle of Civilization January 2010 Chris Treter There could not be a starker contrast between the comfortable lives we lead in beautiful Traverse City, and the struggles that play out daily in the village of Afursa Waro in Yrgacheffe, Ethiopia. The lives of our coffee growing friends is a world away from ours. The journey to Afursa Waro from Traverse City starts wi… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
Taking on the Coffee Chain in NicaraguaSeptember 10th, 2009 Chris Treter What happens when you put 40 Nicaraguan coffee farmers, 3 representatives from an international development organization, and three coffee roasters/ importers into the same room for 10 hours a day over 4 straight days in an isolated locale? Here in the mountains of Nicaragua you'll find representatives from every step of the coffee chain … Click here to read the rest or this article. |
On the Ground: In Pursuit of Education for Every ChildMore than 600 years ago in northeastern Ethiopia, Muslim merchants trekked through the mountains to export the world’s first cultivated coffee beans -- thus beginning what has since become a multi-billion dollar industry. But in modern-day Ethiopia, despite the country’s coffee exports accounting for nearly 60 percent of the national GDP, many coffee farmers and their familie… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
Music for ChiapasMusic for ChiapasBy DarleneMy experience in Chiapas was incredible. Yes, i had mysterious bug bites (said to be pulgas) and a touch of stomach gas a few times, but i would do it all over again in a moments' notice just to be in the midst of such beautiful people once again. The indigenous people of Chiapas are gentle kind folk who were so appreciative of the visit from ou… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
Adventures in the Mayan HighlandsAdventures in the Mayan Highlands – February ‘09By Chris TreterHigher Grounds Trading Co. brought a star studded cast of nearly 40 activists, musicians, and fair trade roasters and retailers to the Mayan Highlands of Chiapas to learn how they can plug in and return home to further support the struggle for indigenous rights and fair trade. Here’s a summary of our a… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
Checking in on the Harvest at Maya VinicChecking in on the Harvest at Maya VinicChris Treter November, 2007 In a quick few days we’ve worked on preparations for a water project in the highland community of Chichilton, trekked to the top of a mountain to speak to the municipality of Chenalho via the Las Abejas radio station Chanul Pom, and had a great meeting with representatives from the co-op to discuss a pletho… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
CRS Economic Justice Consultation Report BackBaltimore, Maryland, USAMarch 2006Jody Treter I’m writing from the Baltimore airport, headed home from two days of meetings convened by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to share ideas and get feedback from stakeholders about the next decade of CRS’s fair trade program. The added bonus of the trip was that I got to spend some time with m… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
Searching for a Safe Passage in Guatemala Cityby Chris TreterNovember 1st - 2007The Guatemala City Cemetery sits in Zone 3 overlooking the 50-year-old city garbage dump. The dead and their mourners watch as three garbage trucks enter every minute to dispense the city's trash at one of the largest garbage dumps in Latin America. From the cemetery, 2000 workers sorting through the filth appear to be ants in the bottom of a vast… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
Nicaragua ViveNicaragua Vive! September 2007By Jody TreterIf you’ve kept up with the goings-on of Higher Grounds, you’ve likely learned that we are members of a one-of-a-kind fair trade, green bean importing cooperative called Cooperative Coffees . Cooperative Coffees is comprised of 21 roasters (soon to be 23) who are setting the bar for the global coffee trade. Built… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
Rwanda's Coffee (Re)EmergenceRwanda’s Coffee (Re)Emergence By Gary HoweFriday, April 20th, 2007(Howe is a photojournalist with a keen interest in Fair Trade coffee. He has additional posts about Rwanda at Life on Earth.)I would have never thought that going to Rwanda would mean hearing more Kenny Rogers than I’ve heard since riding shot gun with my dad. That is exactly what happened while touring coffee … Click here to read the rest or this article. |
Coffee: Ethiopia's gift to the worldBy Jody Treter February 2007 The Motherland of Coffee The soils of Ethiopia (once known as Abyssinia) have been the setting for many of humankind's most pivotal evolutionary moments . Remains of our oldest human ancestors, including the beloved “Lucy” who lived 4.4 million years ago, were discovered in Ethiopia. Lucy and her descendants were some of the fir… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
A Pathway to LifeBy Chris Treter October, 2006 Caranavi, Bolivia Caranavi -- the heart of the primary coffee growing region of the Yungas and the doorstep to the Amazon Basin -- hosted the first annual Cup of Fair Trade Coffee competition. In past years, quality coffee has been judged via the “Cup of Excellence” program funded by USAID, the development wing of the U.S. Govern… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
Catalyzing Economic Change Through Fair TradeBy Jody Treter August, 2006 Third Eye Magazine Here in the United States we are experts at gluttony. Before children can even talk, companies vie to win their brand loyalty with appealing logos, jingles and the promise that their product will bring more fun and happiness. The deci… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
In Search of Water in the Mayan Highlands
By Chris Treter July, 2006 Traversing the mountainous incline, I keep my eyes forward on the horizon as we careen around curve after curve. I am back in the Mayan Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico – where some of the finest coffee in the world is produced by Tzotzil and Tzeltal farmers on plots of land smaller than 4 acres. Coffee which is reminiscent of a dark chocolat… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
On the Way to the Well, Something Beautiful: Struggling for Water in South Africa
by Holly Wren Spaulding June, 2006 A Note from the Roasters: Higher Grounds Trading Company recognizes the urgency of access to water throughout the world, as well as in the communities where our coffee beans are being grown. Water needs are acute among coffee farmers in Chiapas, Mexico, where many growers scramble to meet their basic needs as well as to process th… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
A Journey to the Birthplace of CoffeeMarch 2005 By Chris Treter The cradle of humanity and the birthplace to coffee, Ethiopia is a vibrant country where the few foreigners that visit are greeted with open arms. This March we spent a far-too-short nine days with the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU), traveling to the Sidamo region and the tiny town of Yirgacheffe to meet with five of their me… Click here to read the rest or this article. |
Many images on this site are courtesy of photojournalist Gary L. Howe.