How Initiatives Like Cafeina Fight For Women In Coffee – CoffeeTalk

Gwen Ridler discusses the issue of gender inequality in the coffee industry, highlighting the significant role women play in driving quality, productivity, and sustainability. Women make up almost three-quarters of the global coffee farming workforce, but only one in five coffee farms are run by women. They have more limited access to land, resources, and fair prices for their coffee than their male counterparts, and they are often excluded from buying meetings and top-line decisions. Addressing this gender imbalance is crucial for better, more sustainable coffee production, as it allows more people to reach their potential.

Women have been shown to reinvest up to 90% of their income into their families and communities, driving long-term social and economic benefits. Additionally, women farmers are essential in tackling climate change, especially during the volatile market with higher coffee prices. Gender-inclusive practices ensure the best ideas and techniques are adopted across the industry.

Pact Coffee has established a relationship with Cafeina, a gender-equity group founded to give women in coffee rightful visibility. The group has funded training sessions, courses, visits to farms from agronomists, and support for female farmers exporting their coffee to overseas markets for the first time. This has contributed to the group’s upward trajectory and allowed Pact Coffee to engage consumers with the remarkable stories of its members and inspire them to make a direct impact at source by choosing to brew Cafeina beans for their coffee.

Manufacturers in the UK can support gender equality in the coffee industry by being more deliberate in buying, roasting, and selling beans grown by women and making a commitment to back their work. They can also launch a limited-edition pack of coffees crafted by women in coffee, which presents an opportunity to shine a spotlight on women farmers and give consumers a chance to discover new and delicious roasts from around the world.

To prevent cases of gender inequality in their supply chains, manufacturers should be mindful of the right supply chain policies that empower women and increase access to assets, finance, education, and skills. Pact Coffee’s direct trade model makes this easier to do and track, and working directly with farmers means fairer deals for farmers we know on a first-name basis. Direct trade has also allowed Pact Coffee to build and maintain long-term partnerships with women, contributing directly to projects and programs that address gender inequalities.

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