Welcome to Higher Grounds!
Welcome to Higher Grounds Trading Company. Thank you for joining us on-line. We sincerely hope you enjoy your visit to our site and we will gladly respond to any questions or comments you may have. We are confident that the premium taste of Higher Grounds coffee will get you hooked, but if you are looking for something more from your daily dose take a minute to learn about the indigenous communities who grow and process our coffee. Every time you purchase Higher Grounds coffees you're not only getting one of the finest coffees on the market, you're also directly participating in a humane and just alternative to an economic system that has disastrous social and environmental consequences for the developing world.

The goal of our site is not solely to sell coffee (although it's a nice perk), we also hope this site will serve as an educational tool for learning about the origins of coffee and the rich culture of the people who grow it. Using the navigation buttons to the left you can explore the philosophy of our company, take a quick trip to Chiapas, Mexico, or visit our coffee-growing communities - all without fighting through security at the airport. So brew up a fresh cup of Higher Grounds organic kindness and we'll be on our way. And for those of you who are really adventurous, join us on our eco-tour to Chiapas in February of 2003 to learn about coffee production and our partnering coffee cooperatives.

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Products
Higher Grounds On-line Store Every time you purchase Higher Grounds coffees you're not only getting one of the finest coffees on the market, you're also directly participating in a humane and just economic system. Thanks for selecting Higher Grounds Coffee. Please call us toll free at 877.825.2262 if you don’t find what you are looking for.

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Why Buy Higher Grounds?
Higher Grounds Trading Co. is a company driven by its social mission and a couple of ambitious social entrepreneurs. Our mission is to provide you with premium, gourmet coffees while supporting our coffee-producing partners who are leaders in sustainable development and environmental preservation. Through this website, regular delegations to Chiapas, and the donation of our time, money, and coffee to grassroots initiatives in our communities, Higher Grounds aims to create connections between those of us who enjoy a daily dose of coffee and the amazing people who harvest the green beans. Through regular communication, yearly visits, and collaboration with human rights and development organizations in Chiapas, Higher Grounds is proud to offer our customers a first-rate coffee and the opportunity to create social change.

Not long ago we packed our bags for Chiapas in search of exceptional coffee beans and a different way of doing business. We've always been avid coffee drinkers and were looking forward to working with farmers from the Mut Vitz and Maya Vinic cooperatives. It wasn't until we spent some time with our coffee-producing friends that we really understood the extent of their suffering, as well as that of their natural environment. During our stay in Chiapas we witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by the inhumane, profit-driven world coffee market.

Today, the richest 20% of the world's population has 60 times the income of the poorest 20%. Coffee is the second largest legally traded commodity in the world (behind oil of course!) Nearly 25 million people rely on it as a main source of income. But, with coffee prices dropping over 50% in the last three years to reach a 100 year low, millions of people are struggling to survive. The price of coffee that farmers are getting is 30 cents below the cost of production. At the same time, large transnational corporations are making record profits. In Chiapas, coffee is the principal export crop and only second to corn in terms of agricultural production measured in area. Nearly 500,000 people find work in the coffee sector, providing the major source of income for almost 25% of the economically-active population.

Brighter Side
Although the coffee situation seems grim (not to mention the onslaught of depressing news from mainstream media), we're proud to offer a beacon of light. As more and more consumers reflect on their values and search for answers to difficult questions about happiness and health, many folks are realizing that there are healthier, more equitable, purchasing alternatives available to us. Higher Grounds was born from the belief that there exists a sustainable and humane way of conducting business. Although we recognize that a core function of a business is to make a profit, we're firm believers that profits should be dispersed more equitably among all members of the supply chain rather than being concentrated in the pockets of CEOs. As a business and as members of a human community, we feel a moral responsibility to be active in enriching our community and protecting our environment. Because of our values, we are committed to paying our partner cooperatives a liveable wage, donating all after-expense profits to our communities, and choosing like-minded suppliers for other office products. As Higher Grounds grows, a commitment to our human and natural environment will guide us through decision-making. And we're happy to report that many other companies in the U.S. are following a similar path.

More and more coffee companies in the United States are selling fair trade and organic coffee, which is the first step to helping the coffee producers and their families, in addition to healing a wounded environment. Higher Grounds is taking the concept of fair trade a step further. We are dedicated to working with two coffee producing cooperatives whom we've hand selected by visiting and working with them while living in Chiapas. We like to think of our coffees as "relationship coffees" - a coffee that is direct from a small group of hard-working farmers to your cup.

When you purchase Higher Grounds coffees you are:

• Supporting A Fair Trade
  By paying our cooperatives nearly 3 times the price currently set on New York's Coffee, Sugar and Cacao Exchange - which provides the industry with its benchmark for beans - we are promising a dignified wage, bringing the benefits of trade to the communities that need it most.
  
  
• Saving Biodiversity and Bird Habitats
  Conventional coffee farming methods involve clearing forests in order to mature the coffee cherries more rapidly in direct sunlight. This method, widely used in Latin America, leads to the loss of sensitive rainforests while depleting habitat for thousands of bird species. During the early 1990's nearly 40% of coffee growing land in Latin America and the Caribbean was converted for sun-grown techniques. Higher Ground's partnering cooperatives grow their coffee under a canopy of shade, preventing loss to this priceless habitat.
  
  
• Promoting Organic Agriculture
  Conventional coffee is primarily grown using massive doses of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides. The use of these harmful chemicals devastates the soil and groundwater, creates an economic strain on the small-scale farmer, and has numerous negative health effects. Higher Grounds is proud to be working with cooperatives that are certified organic or are in transition to becoming certified (meaning they are practicing organic farming techniques and are awaiting certification).
  
  
• Supporting the Formation of Indigenous Rights and Dignity
  Five hundred and ten years after being conquered and colonized by the Spanish, the Mayan people, as well as indigenous peoples throughout the Americas, continue to struggle against oppression and poverty most recently imposed upon them by the forces of corporate globalization. Higher Grounds is working with cooperatives that have received international recognition for their inspiring, undying dedication in the struggle to create a just, equitable, and fair world for all people.
  
  
• Fostering Corporate Social Responsibility
  Most conventional coffee companies are worried about one bottom line: profit. In the coffee business, this is a very dangerous and, in our perspective, unethical practice to follow. By focusing solely on increasing profits, companies are not considering the devastating social and environmental impacts of buying coffee below the cost of production. At Higher Grounds we are dedicated to considering the livelihood of the coffee farmers we work with when making all business decisions. Furthermore, we also donate all profit to community-based initiatives in both our communities and those of our coffee producers.

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Higher Grounds Trading Co.
P.O. Box 326
Leland, Michigan 49654
Phone: (231) 256-9687
http://www.javaforjustice.com