In March 2021, the Spartan Global Development Fund featured Higher Grounds Coffee and founder Chris Treter in a story examining the company’s role in international development. The article traces Higher Grounds’ beginnings to relationships Chris developed with coffee farmers in Mexico and explores how the company’s mission grew around addressing inequality and improving opportunities for coffee-growing communities.

The feature highlights Higher Grounds’ commitment to paying premiums beyond Fair Trade standards, developing long-term relationships with producer partners, and investing in community-led initiatives rather than simply extracting value from coffee-growing regions. It also discusses Higher Grounds’ work in the Democratic Republic of Congo and an education initiative in Ethiopia that helped women gain greater independence and improve their quality of life. The article presents Higher Grounds as an example of how a globally connected business can grow while remaining responsible to the communities throughout its supply chain