Fairness – All trading partners are to be treated fairly. No strike price is ever to be below that established by the Fair Trade Organization. Additionally, farm workers’ wages must be verifiable fair, working conditions must be humane and basic health must be made available.
Strictly Earth Conscious – Earth Conscious coffees are coffees grown on farms that hold at least two of the following earth friendly certifications:
All La Colombe coffees are Strictly Earth Conscious.
LCT Farm Assist ProgramFor the vast majority of coffee farmers, farm certification is out of reach because it requires substantial investment, communications skills, and a clear link to the outside world--luxuries not often part of the rural third world existence. Through the LCT Farm Assist program, we are committed to assisting farmers become Rainforest Certified by offering grants, administrative assistance, on the ground know-how, and new avenues to the US market.
Project Afrique
La Colombe is actively engaged in bettering the lives of hundreds of
orphaned children living in Africa. Project Afrique is the natural
extension of our coffee work as made possible through sales of the
Afrique Blend and additional funding from La Colombe and its founders.
The project is close to the heart of owner Todd Carmichael, who is the
adoptive father of three daughters born in Ethiopia.
Every dollar derived from Project Afrique is spent wisely and directly
applied to the needs of these children - food, housing, education, and health care - through the establishment of reliable and accountable partnerships with organizations such as
the Echoes Foundation in Uganda and Wide Horizons in Ethiopia.
Project 1,000 Wells
A staggering 1,300,000,000 people on the planet do not have access to clean water. Women and children carrying vessels and plastic bottles, often over long distances in dangerous conditions, to retrieve unclean water is a common sight in most coffee growing regions.
La Colombe is committed to the long-term project of drilling 1,000
water wells on the African continent to ensure access to clean water
in more areas. In order to accomplish this, we are
utilizing the means of profit sharing, fundraising events,
sponsorships (Expedition Earth), and philanthropic
coffees (coffee for water).
Goodwill
For nearly two decades, La Colombe has been a leading proponent of ethical long-term trade with coffee growers as well as a key supporter of certification organizations such as Fair Trade Alliance, Rainforest Alliance, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and others. Most important, however, is our direct influence on the well being of our coffee growing communities - from water resource development and borehole drilling to building and maintaining schools which support hundreds of orphaned children with housing, health care and education. We recognize that as coffee roasters we occupy a unique place in the world, a spot on the narrow bridge between the developing world and some of the most affluent consumers on the planet. To us, this role is more than a responsibility, more than a popular philanthropic logo but a rare privilege seldom afforded. At La Colombe, we intend to make the most out of this opportunity.
Over the years our trading partners have taught us a thing or two: about how to coax the most out of life, about strength, about happiness, and most of all, about the beauty of being a part of a community. We understand our neighborhood stretches around the world.
