Buy Level Ground Trading products online in Canada
Level Ground Trading is a Canadian fair-trade food company founded in 1997 in British Columbia, originally operating out of Victoria before expanding its presence across the province and Canada. The company was founded by Stacey Toews and Laurie Klassen, alongside two other founding families, inspired by experiences with global poverty and ethical trade models such as Ten Thousand Villages, with a clear mission to improve the lives of small-scale farmers through long-term, dignified trade relationships rather than charity.
Level Ground Trading began as a small, hands-on coffee-roasting venture, producing four-pound batches after hours using a borrowed roaster. Its earliest partnerships included a Colombian coffee cooperative connected through Hugo Ciro, where proceeds funded educational scholarships for farming families—an impact that grew from supporting six students in its first year to hundreds annually. This early success set the tone for a direct-trade, partnership-based model that remains central to the brand.
From the outset, Level Ground rejected commodity-style sourcing in favor of direct relationships with farmer cooperatives, paying prices well above market rates, offering pre-harvest financing, and committing to multi-year purchasing agreements. This structure provides farmers with predictable income, reduces debt dependence, and enables long-term investments in education, healthcare, and farm infrastructure. The company’s ethos is often summarized by its phrase: “shake the hands that farm the land.”
As the business grew, Level Ground Trading expanded sourcing beyond Colombia to include cooperatives in Bolivia, Peru, Ethiopia, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other regions, working with more than 5,000 small-scale farmers across 10+ countries. Notable milestones include importing Bolivia’s first Fair Trade coffee into North America in 2002 through a collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Aymara coffee growers.
While coffee remains central to the brand, Level Ground Trading gradually broadened its portfolio to include fair-trade cocoa and chocolate, dried fruits, cane sugar (panela), tea, and spices, applying the same ethical sourcing standards across all categories. Many products are certified organic, and farming practices emphasize shade-grown cultivation, biodiversity protection, soil health, and climate resilience.
To maintain quality, freshness, and traceability, Level Ground invested in Canadian-based roasting and manufacturing operations, culminating in a purpose-built facility at 1757 Sean Heights near Central Saanich, opened in 2018. The site includes production space, offices, and a public tasting room, and supports a team of approximately 30 staff. This domestic infrastructure allows close oversight of sourcing, roasting, and distribution.
A defining characteristic of Level Ground Trading is its focus on shared value and farmer empowerment. In some partnerships, producer cooperatives participate in revenue-sharing or ownership structures, ensuring that farmers benefit directly from the success of finished products sold in Canada. Environmental stewardship is treated as inseparable from social justice, with ongoing efforts to reduce waste, protect water systems, and promote sustainable land use.
Education and transparency are core to the brand’s identity. Level Ground consistently communicates detailed information about its farmer partners, pricing models, and real-world impact, positioning itself as an advocate for ethical consumption and supply-chain reform. Its products are now widely available across Canada through grocery stores, health food retailers, cafés, universities, workplaces, faith-based organizations, and online platforms.
With more than 25 years of continuous operation, Level Ground Trading is widely regarded as one of Canada’s longest-running and most respected fair-trade companies. Its farmer-first philosophy, deep partnerships, and integration of ethics into everyday food products position Level Ground Trading as a model for how commerce can advance global equity, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment at scale.
Where to buy Level Ground Trading products in Canada
You can purchase Level Ground Trading items in Canada from YesWellness, an online retailer specializing in health and wellness solutions. YesWellness offers a wide range of Level Ground Trading products, including:
- Level Ground Trading Organic Cane Sugar
- Level Ground Trading Dried Organic Pineapple
YesWellness provides the following benefits when purchasing Level Ground Trading items:
- Free shipping on orders over a certain amount.
- Detailed product information and customer reviews.
- A 60-day return policy for most items (exceptions may apply).
As one of Canada's leading online sources for health and wellness items, YesWellness ensures that customers have access to high-quality Level Ground Trading items with the convenience of online shopping and home delivery. Here's how you can buy Level Ground Trading from YesWellness:
- Visit the YesWellness website.
- Browse the Level Ground Trading collection.
- Select the desired Level Ground Trading products.
- Add them to your cart.
- Proceed to checkout.
- Complete your purchase.
