The majority of the world’s coffee is grown on small family farms, often in countries with widespread poverty. Only 20-30% of the world’s coffee farms are run by women, even though women make up 70% of the workforce. Many women are left alone on the coffee farms, either as widows or because the men have gone to seek work in the cities. Unless women are registered as owners of their land, they find it difficult to access credit, which is needed to buy fertiliser, for example, and thereby increase production. Through our Grown by Women initiative, we are working to strengthen the position of female coffee farmers and improve their livelihoods.
Amigas and Señoras
The coffee at Amigas and Señoras (for businesses) comes from farms that are at least 75% run by women. By joining cooperatives, obtaining Fairtrade certification, and receiving support from trade organizations, women have access to training in agricultural development, climate adaptation, and environmental improvements.
We currently collaborate with seven cooperatives, two of which we have been working with since 2017 and 2018, respectively. As local interest in similar initiatives grows, we are continuously evaluating the possibility of including more cooperatives. The cooperatives we collaborate with are located in Honduras and Peru.
Grown by women was launched in 2017 and has since then aimed to provide long-term support to women in the coffee industry. The initiative helps give female farmers greater influence over their own finances, their families’ futures, and the development of their communities.
