Cultivating opportunity with every bean

 

Our mission

Creating economic opportunities for coffee producing communities.

Our vision

We envision a coffee industry that is equitable and inclusive, that enables small-scale farmers to earn a dignified income and live prosperous lives, that facilitates authentic relationships between coffee producers and buyers, and that prioritizes economic, social, and environmental needs of everyone involved.

 

Areas of Work

Coffee producer handling parchment coffee at drying patio | coffee commercialization

Coffee Commercialization

We sell coffee from our partner cooperatives, providing improved market access for farmers while delivering a high quality product to roasters and consumers. DLG offers better and stable prices to farmers.

Wholesale Green Coffee
 
DLG staff reading cupping results to women coffee producer | development

Cooperative Assistance

We work to build the capacity of our partner cooperatives to be successful farmer-run organizations that deliver economic benefits for their members and invest in continued improvement of their individual and collective abilities.

Partner Cooperatives
 
coffee producer teaching visitor about coffee farming | origin trips

Awareness Raising

We seek to cultivate conscientious coffee consumers by educating our supporters about the rise of the coffee industry in Guatemala and its impact on the communities with which we work.

Immersion Program
 
Women coffee producer teaching visitor how to grind coffee with grinding stone | community tourism

Community Tourism

We welcome visitors to the communities in which we work to authentically interact with and learn from coffee producers while providing an alternative income for farmers and their families.

Community Tourism Program

Our Values

  • Transparency

    The coffee world can be opaque, making it hard to know who benefits and who doesn’t. By being transparent with our partner cooperatives, farmers, team members, customers, and visitors, we shed light on the industry and keep ourselves honest.

  • Respect & Openness

    It takes collaboration between many people with different sets of skills, cultures, and languages to build a better and more inclusive world. We show respect for different world-views and experiences, remembering that we can all learn from each other.

  • Innovation

    Just because “it’s always been done that way” doesn’t mean that’s how it should be. We question the way things are and dream big about how we can do things differently and better.

  • Empowerment

    We are mindful to avoid replicating historical power imbalances. By ensuring that our partner cooperatives have meaningful participation in our work and that their voices are heard, we create more equitable relationships.

  • Sustainability

    Ensuring the long-term success of our work means minimizing our environmental impact and making sure that our work is based on sound principles of economic feasibility and replicability.

  • Accountability & Integrity

    We hold ourselves to high standards and continuously evaluate our results against our mission. We celebrate our successes and learn from where we fall short.