Our Growers
Our coffee beans are sourced from women-owned or women-managed farms
GROWER: Arabela Pereira Lima
REGION: Monte Santo de Minas, Mogiana, Brazil
“It all started during my childhood," says Arabela, "I used to accompany my mother, Leda, to the farm and later she encouraged me to attend the college of agronomy. From then until now the interest has become a passion and I can’t imagine myself working with in any other career"
"The desire to stay in the profession comes from knowing that I never know everything, there is always a new knowledge to be tested, it is always dynamic. Also, the satisfaction of being able to please several people with my work, that’s something priceless to me.”
GROWER: Cooperative Nahualá
REGION: Sololá, Guatemala
Cooperative Nahualá works to promote gender equality through training and overall inclusion of their women members. This coffee is grown on the steep mountainous slopes in one of Central America’s most lively volcanic areas. To promote a healthy symbiotic relationship with the natural environment, the Cooperative has been producing certified organic coffee for over 10 years.
GROWER: Cooperativa RAOS
REGION: San Miguel, Marcala, La Paz, Honduras
"Gender equity means that women and men have the right to equal and fair access to the use, control, and benefits from the same goods and services of society, as well as to decision-making in the areas of social, economic, and social life, as well as politics." - The Cooperativa RAOS's mission statement with regards to gender.
One of the reasons the cooperative is determined to market its women members' coffee is that 60 percent of the women face gender-based legal issues with regards to the ownership of their land, as well as limitations to the credit they can receive to finance the harvest every year. In addition to the program premiums these women receive for this lot, Cooperativa RAOS has many very active educational support programs open to all members. Gender assemblies are held by female members in order to discuss the women's needs, as well as ways of increasing equity within the group and community.
GROWER: Cesmach Co-Op el Triunfo Bisophere Reserve
REGION: Sierra Madre, Chiapas
Fair Trade. Cafe Femenino. Female smallholder-members of the grower organization CESMACH make up this lot. CESMACH is dedicated to helping small producers to optimize their market power, which includes helping women growers collaborate on projects to increase their visibility and marketability. The organization also analyzes its members responsibility to the environment and the community, and bands together to increase the collective quality of life for the locals.
GROWER: Cantuta Women’s Coffee Peru
REGION: Rodríguez de Mendoza, Amazonas, Peru
Cantuta Peru Women’s Coffee encompasses 232 small women coffee farmers from the Valle Verde and Flor del Café farmer associations located in Rodríguez de Mendoza, Peru. Small farmers are defined as having less than 3 hectares (about 7.4 acres).
Principles of the Cantuta Women’s Coffee Project:
Gender equity in the community of Rodríguez de Mendoza, Peru.
Women’s empowerment and promoting women in leadership roles in the community.
Financial literacy and access to capital.
Technical assistance and training to help improve productivity and yields.
Next generation coffee.
GROWER: Ketiara Cooperative
REGION: Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
This coffee is produced on family-owned farms organized around the Ketiara Cooperative. A high percentage of farmers are widows who lost their husbands during periods of conflict in Aceh. These families are also in the process of rebuilding after an earthquake in 2013. A women’s organization was recently formed to address the needs of the community, which includes plans to build a health center in the community.