The Issues Facing Women in Coffee
Coffee is part of our daily routine for many of us. It gets the morning going, gives us a reason to catch up with friends and, sometimes, provides that much-needed pause during a busy day.
But behind every cup is a much bigger story, and one that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves: the role women play in coffee farming.
Women are a major part of the global coffee workforce, carrying out around 70% of the physical work on coffee farms. Despite this, they own only about 15% of farmland and receive just 5% of relevant farming training.
These figures highlight a significant imbalance. Women are doing a huge amount of the work involved in producing coffee, yet often have far less access to the land, education, resources and opportunities that could help them improve their farms and livelihoods.
There is also a much bigger economic opportunity here. Research suggests that increasing women’s participation in the workforce could add trillions to the global economy. Within coffee alone, creating more opportunities for women has the potential to strengthen farming communities and unlock talent that is already there.
Understanding these challenges is important, but so is recognising the women who are already making a difference.
Supporting Women in Coffee
One way of creating change is by supporting programmes that give women access to the resources and opportunities they need to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods.
One initiative during Women in Coffee Month partnered with Hand in Hand International, a non-profit organisation focused on empowering women entrepreneurs around the world.
Through the sale of specially selected coffees, including El Triunfo and Cenicafé 1 Limited Edition, £2,282 was raised. The money was set to support 41 women in Kenya by providing resources and assistance designed to improve their livelihoods and help break the cycle of poverty.
It is a good example of how something as simple as buying a bag of coffee can become part of a much bigger story.
Whether through purchasing coffee, sharing information or simply learning more about where coffee comes from, consumers have the ability to support positive change throughout the supply chain.
Inspiring Women in Coffee
At the heart of Women in Coffee Month is the opportunity to celebrate the women who have overcome challenges, built successful farms and businesses, and helped strengthen their coffee communities.
Here are a few of the women whose stories show just how much impact women can have across the coffee industry.
1. Epiphanie Mukashyaka, Rwanda
After losing her husband during the Rwandan genocide, Epiphanie Mukashyaka turned an incredibly difficult experience into a determination to build something of her own.
She began with a small farm before founding Bufcoffee and developing several coffee washing stations, including the renowned Remera Washing Station.
Today, Epiphanie supports more than 4,000 smallholder farmers. Her work has made her an important figure within her community and an example of how determination and leadership can create opportunities for thousands of other people — read her full Bufcoffee story here.
2. Maria del Rosario, Colombia
Maria del Rosario and her husband, José Ramone Collazos, run Buenos Aires farm in Colombia, where they place a strong focus on both coffee quality and the wellbeing of their workers.
Their approach includes providing comfortable accommodation, meals and community events for employees, recognising that producing great coffee starts with creating a supportive environment for the people who work on the farm.
Maria also manages her own farm independently, making her own contribution to the development and long-term sustainability of her local coffee community.
3. Victoria Concepcion Aguirra, Honduras
Victoria Aguirra started out with a relatively small plot of farmland, but with training and support she was able to transform her coffee from commodity grade into specialty grade.
The additional knowledge and guidance helped her improve both the quality of her coffee and her harvest yields.
Her progress has also given her a leadership role within her local coffee community, where she has become an example for other women looking to improve their own farms and pursue higher-quality coffee production.
4. Nyiramasoni Donatille, Rwanda
Nyiramasoni Donatille’s dedication to producing high-quality coffee caught attention when an exceptional coffee lot from her farm was discovered.
With targeted support, including access to tools and resources, she was able to improve both the productivity and quality of her farm.
Her work has since extended beyond her own coffee production. She now leads a community-based coffee group and continues to explore new ways of improving coffee farming in Rwanda.
5. Maria Olano, Colombia
Maria Olano plays an important role as a Specialty Coffee Buyer for the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers (FNC).
Her work involves sourcing high-quality Colombian coffees and building relationships with coffee farmers.
Buyers like Maria play an important role in connecting producers with the wider coffee industry, helping quality coffees reach consumers while maintaining strong relationships with the farmers who produce them.
Taking Action: How You Can Support Women in Coffee
There is still plenty of work to be done when it comes to creating greater equality within coffee farming, but coffee drinkers can play a role too.
Here are a few simple ways to support women in coffee:
Choose coffees produced by women: When possible, look for coffees that are sourced from women farmers or programmes that specifically support women producers — our roundup of ten coffees from women producers is a good place to start.
Share their stories: Learning about the people behind your coffee is a simple way to raise awareness. Share stories of women farmers and the challenges they have overcome with friends, family and fellow coffee lovers.
Support organisations doing the work: Organisations that empower women entrepreneurs and farmers can provide access to training, resources and opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable.
Learn more about your coffee: Ask where your coffee comes from, who produced it and how it reached your cup. The more we understand about the supply chain, the easier it becomes to make informed choices.
Looking Towards a More Equal Coffee Industry
Women have always played an important role in coffee farming, even if their contributions have not always received the recognition they deserve.
The stories of women such as Epiphanie Mukashyaka, Maria del Rosario, Victoria Concepcion Aguirra, Nyiramasoni Donatille and Maria Olano show the different ways women contribute to the coffee industry. They are farmers, leaders, entrepreneurs and buyers, helping shape everything from the production of coffee on the farm to the relationships that bring it to consumers.
Supporting women in coffee is therefore about more than recognising individual achievements. It is also about creating access to land, education, resources and opportunities so that more women can build sustainable livelihoods and stronger coffee communities.
For us as coffee drinkers, that can start with something as simple as paying a little more attention to the story behind the beans we buy.
The next time you brew a cup, take a moment to think about how many people helped get that coffee there. There is a good chance that women played a much bigger role than you realise.
At The Coffee Blog, we’ll continue sharing the stories, people, places and ideas that make the world of coffee so interesting — from the farms where it begins to the cup sitting in front of you.
