Here are some of the frequently asked questions I receive:

-Who is eligible to go on delegation?
Anyone with a desire to learn, participate and a positive attitude is encouraged to join a Just Coffee delegation! Our travel delegations offer a safe and supportive environment for people of all different ages, genders, capabilities, educations, nationalities, religions, and backgrounds to participate in.

-What is the purpose of Just Coffee's delegation trips?
The purpose of Just Coffee delegations is for our company to stay in close contact with our coffee producing groups, a value we feel is integral to truly fair trade! We also hope to foster an educational travel experience that focus on the long production of coffee from the tree to your cup, the ideologies and realities of fair trade as it currently exists, as well as discussions on globalization, cultural diversity, autonomy and indigenous rights, women's issues, international relations, the histories of the communities and countries we visit, current events, and much, much, more! Delegations are customized based upon the interests of the participants and are cultural exchanges that offer a great way to learn more about the planet we live on.

-How do you accomplish the goals of these delegations?
In order to open the doors of communication between our growers and consumers our delegation meets with, shares meals, and often stays overnight with a coffee growing community. Depending upon the country we are visiting, we also meet with other organizations such as local craftspeople, artist collectives, traditional medicine healers, local radio stations, locally produced magazines, research organizations, Permaculutre and sustainable agriculture groups, United Nations officials, government officials, environmental groups, and many others. This holistic approach to travel education allows us to not only learn just about our where our coffee comes from but also about how life in the area we are traveling to became the way it is. Outside of these more formal encounters we also take every opportunity to visit local markets, eat traditional foods, and explore as much of the culture and natural environment of the area that we are visiting. Excursions such as nature hikes, volcano visits, and snorkeling and diving can also be added to some delegation trips.

-How many people go on a delegation?
We try to keep our delegation trips small. We can accept a maximum of 15 people per trip but often only take 8 or 10 people.

-How long is each trip?
Each trip is between 5 and 7 days formally. Some people choose to come down earlier or stay longer on their own. Delegation can be customized to be as long or short as a group would like.

-Is it a problem if I do not speak the language that is spoken in the country we are traveling to?
There are no language requirements for the delegations. If you speak a lot or a little of the language in which we will be immersed you will have plenty of opportunities to practice your language skills. If not, many meetings will be in English and those that aren't we will have translators for. No one including the people we are visiting expects you to speak their language fluently, only that you are kind and respectful.

-Do I need a passport to go on a delegation?
YES, you will need a valid government issued passport. If you do not have one and plan to go, please get one right away! Passports can take a lot of time to process. Again, if you need help, you can also contact me and I will give you the information of my travel agent who can assist you. You can contact her directly and she will give you the information you need or tell you where to go. Generally, you can pick up a form at a post office (you may want to call them first to make sure they have them), and that will explain what you need to do. You'll need 2 passport photos to submit with your application.

-How and when do I pay to come on a delegation?
Money is due in the form of cash or check at the time of registration. All checks must be made payable to: Just Coffee.

-How do we reserve our plane tickets?
Plane tickets for delegations are purchased separately. You must arrive in the country before the delegation begins. If you arrive after the delegation has begun you will be responsible for finding your own transportation from the airport. If you know ahead of time that you will be arriving late or leaving early, please let me know and I can let you know what you transportation options are.

I am more than happy to help anyone purchase their airfare that would like me to. I have worked as a travel agent for more than five years and can direct you to a travel agent friend of mine who can assist you. If you are assisted with your airfare we will try to get as many people on the trip flying together as is possible. You are more than welcome to book your own ticket on-line, or by any other means you prefer. I recommend booking your flight as soon as you can as air rates often get higher as departure nears and flights can fill up. The choice is completely yours.

For assistance with booking your flights please contact Clara Christianson at AAA Travel.  Clara is a fantastic and very accomplished travel agent!  She can be reached at: 608-242-6000 ext. 214 or at: CRChristianson@aaawisconsin.com.

-Where do trips depart from?
People come on the trips from all different places and meet at the in-country airport. I can assist with arranging/booking flights and if people are traveling from the same location I can help to arrange meetings ahead of time so that people can travel together. If you live in Madison you can fly from here, Chicago or where ever you would like.

-Can I meet up with the group if I am already in the country where the delegation takes place, arriving earlier, or leaving later than the scheduled trip?
Yes! It is no problem for people to travel longer than the group or for you to meet up with us if you are already there. Let me know what your flight/bus arrangements are and we will work out meeting locations. Of course, you will be responsible for all costs of additional days.

-How do we bring money along?

• In my opinion it is best to carry a debit card that you can use at any ATM machine. With a debit card you can directly withdraw local currency. This is the easiest way to change money at the most current conversion rate.
• You may carry traveler’s checks as a safety measure, and it isn't a bad idea to have them for an emergency, but be aware that they can be hard to exchange.
• A credit card is okay for charging things and can be a good safety measure, but you usually can't take money out of an ATM with them without it being a cash advance, which your back can charge you heftily for, and they aren't good for buying things at markets, and smaller shops and restaurants, which are the kinds of places we generally frequent.
• It is okay to carry cash, but it cam be dangerous to carry very much of it and you may loose money when exchanging it. Also, in some countries it can be hard to find a place to make exchanges. A lot of touristy places will accept dollars, but then again, you usually loose money in these transactions.
• Personally, I always carry a VISA debit card, a MasterCard debit card (in some countries it is easy to find only Visa ATM machines, while in other countries only MasterCard machines are prevalent. Having said that, most countries now have both.), a credit card for emergencies, and a few dollars just incase.

-May children come on the delegation?
Yes, children of any age can go on this trip. The cost may NOT be different for children as things like accommodation, transportation, and food are all based on per person rates. Remember, these trips are learning delegations and may not be interesting to all children. There are times on the trip when we have meetings with communities and groups and may be sitting in one place for many hours. Having said that, it is also a wonderful trip to take children on! It is an incredible educational experience and they will likely have opportunities to meet local children, learn more about the world they live in, ask important questions, and experience a culture very different from their own.

-Where will we be staying?
The delegations are often broken up between staying in simple but lovely hostels or hotels and visiting and/or staying out in coffee growing communities. If we stay in community it is helpful to have a small sleeping bag. If you don’t have or forget to bring a small sleeping bag (nothing big, as it is too much to carry around) you can bring along or buy a blanket or two when you arrive. Staying in community can be quite simple, meaning that we may sleep on the ground or on boards, inside or outside, without pillows or padding. It is also a LOT of fun!

-What if I am vegetarian or have other special dietary needs (vegan, gluten free, diabetic, etc.)?
-There is generally vegetarian food available on delegation trips. Depending upon our destination, most restaurants that we eat at are accommodating and often offer something vegetarian. When staying out in indigenous communities it can sometimes be more difficult if you don't eat any meat, chicken, fish, or meat broths. If you are at all flexible on this issue, then this may be the time to be. We are generally treated as honored guests and therefore in Central and South America are often fed meat. When we do stay in communities we can bring extra food and snacks incase there isn't something that suits your dietary requirements. Before traveling into community our group will discuss this topic further as well as ways to be most polite when sharing meals. For trips to East Timor being vegetarian is much easier as most locals in Timor-Leste rarely eat meat.

Please let me know what your other dietary needs are. I can not guarantee that every diet can be accommodated, but I will do my best to prepare you for what to expect and you can decide if the trip will work for you. I have taken vegetarians, vegans, people with a gluten free diet and diabetics on previous delegations.

-How do we travel within the country we are visiting?
Generally we travel together by vans, buses, mini-vans/microlets. On some occasions we may take taxis or walk, depending upon the distance we are traveling. We often travel on small, curvy, mountainous roads at fairly high elevations, and people have been known to get car sick. If you are easily affected by this, be prepared however you need to (medicines, puke bag, whatever).

-In what way do we help the people we visit?
We are not intending to help anyone on the delegations. These are not mission trips. We do intend to try to better understand the world that we live in hopes that this will be beneficial to people and the planet. The delegations offer an opportunity to
strengthen relationships that already exist between our company, our consumers and our coffee growers. As a result of delegations coffee producers are able to generate more income through more coffee sales and also through donations that we leave them during our visits that the community can use as is deems necessary.

-Are delegations ‘political’ trips?
Yes. Politics are involved in this trip in that we will be discussing many important topics together, including but not limited to: coffee production, trade and trade relationships, different forms of government and autonomy, etc. We welcome different types of people with different backgrounds and opinions to join us. Everyone on the trip is responsible for treating each other with complete respect and dignity.

-Does it matter if I don't drink coffee?
It does not matter if you do not drink coffee. You will have opportunities to drink coffee on the trip but you do not need to and will not feel left out or excluded. Our delegations are more about education than about tasting and evaluating specific coffees.