Members of the Coffee Association of Canada have long standing partnerships with individual growers and grower co-operatives in many countries - from the Americas to the Philippines to Thailand. Member support of these direct relationships has made a significant difference in the lives of countless coffee farmers and workers.

In Colombia, Coffee Association of Canada members are among the largest customers of the Colombian Coffee Federation. The Federation provides:

- the infrastructure to bring harvested coffee to market
- processing methods that reduce water consumption by 97%
- roads, school, telephone line, aquaducts, electricity and health care facilities for rural communities
- guaranteed rate of compensation and stable coffee price

In the Chiapas region of Mexico, the Indigenas de la Sierra Madre de Motzintla San Isidro Labrador, S. de S.S. coffee co-op now export $7 million worth of coffee beans each year. The organic farming techniques practised by the co-op have led to higher profit. In turn that money has been used to improve conditions in many communities including:

- child welfare, nutrition and education
- the development and maintenance of rural infrastructure
- preservation of rivers, forests and tropical fauna

In Venezuela, one Coffee Association of Canada member buys more than 10% of its coffee beans from the Farmers Co-op. This co-op has worked for years to develop exemplary farming practices and to ensure that the individual coffee farmers themselves are in control of their beans are sold, to whom, and for how much.

At the Co-Cla co-op in Quillabamba, Peru, technical support from Coffee Association of Canada members helped:
- set up a laboratory to improve quality control
- educate growers on where and how to grow more and better beans
- install coffee nurseries to develop healthier seeds

In Nicaragua, the family owned coffee farm, Aroma Nica, has been committed to sustainable agriculture since 1935. The company is also committed to their employees.

At Aroma Nica they:
- grow their coffee beans under shade
- use only natural fertilizers
- educate workers to control pests and disease through natural means
- provide workers with regular medical care
- guarantee fair pay for their workers

In Costa Rica, the Hacienda La Minita provides much more than employment for its 90 full time employees. The 1200 acre coffee estate has:
- a medical facility with both a doctor and dentist
- housing for every full time employee
- a subsidized commissary
- a free vegetable and citrus farm
- 200 acre not cultivated for coffee but set aside as a wildlife preserve
- premium pay for both full and part-time workers
- all coffee grown under shade
- a strict "no chemical" policy