Women in Coffee
“Due to the efforts of various stakeholders – including the IWCA – gender equality has become an integral part of the agenda but there is still more we can do in terms of collective action.”
Source: Colombia: The Executive Director of the ICO highlights the role of women in the coffee industry
The contributions of women to the coffee industry have consistently been unrecognized and undervalued across the supply chain, and representation is unequal in the most profitable sectors.
Don’t just take our word for it — scientific studies have been reporting systemic inequality in the coffee industry for years. Explore the research yourself and see why we’re so motivated to work for positive change.
Field Survey Initiative - Pilot Project Report 2020
Author
Anne-Teresa BIrthwright
PhD in Geography, The University of the West Indies
Treasurer and Field Survey Initiative Lead at JAWiC
In 2019, extending from July-September, JAWiC undertook a pilot project across the Blue Mountain coffee-producing region. The survey developed, was designed to be exploratory, so as to capture vital information for a full-scale research project, as well as its feasibility.
The main aim of the pilot study was to capture exploratory data towards developing a basic understanding of the women in coffee, and the challenges they face within the coffee industry. It was important to discover this local context, thus setting the stage towards examining their vulnerabilities, perceptions, livelihood experiences, and adaptation strategies.
Objectives
To explore the livelihood experiences and challenges of female coffee farmers in the industry, such as access to farm inputs, training, credit, market information and leadership opportunities.
To establish the presence of JAWiC within the coffee farming communities of the Blue Mountain region.
To discover preliminary data on the barriers that disadvantage women coffee farmers.
Comprehensive Reports
The State of Food and Agriculture 2010-2011
Women in Agriculture
Closing the gender gap for development
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
“If women in rural areas had the same access to land, technology, financial services, education and markets as men, agricultural production could be increased and the number of hungry people reduced by 100-150 million”
“Gender equality is not just a lofty ideal, it is also crucial for agricultural development and food security. We must promote gender equality and empower women in agriculture to win, sustainably, the fight against hunger and extreme poverty.” [FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf]
Articles and Research
”Just giving women the same access as men to agricultural resources could increase production on women’s farms in developing countries by 20 to 30 percent. This could raise total agricultural production in developing countries by 2.5 to 4 percent, which could, in turn, reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 12 to 17 percent, or 100 to 150 million people.”
“In 2017, PayScale recorded a gender pay gap of 13.6% in the US for Accommodation and Food Services. It also mentioned that the biggest barrier to equal pay was “equal opportunity”; while there was still a pay gap when comparing compensation for men and women with the same job title, women were also less likely to hold higher-paid positions.
“Because when women aren’t in positions of power, they aren’t just lower-paid. They’re also more at risk of reduced job stability, harassment and discrimination, and more.”
”On a global level, women do 70% of the work on coffee farms but own only 15% of the land and traded beans. Economic (and often cultural) challenges mean that they are unable to access the funding, resources, or health care that they desperately need.
“Yet studies show that empowering women coffee farmers leads to healthier families, more resilient communities, and higher quality crops. In fact, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that closing the global gender gap in agriculture would increase yields on farms by 20-30%, which could in turn reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 12-17%.”
The Power of Parity
19 January 2016
NATIONAL COFFEE ASSOCIATION
Melissa Pugash and Margaret Swallow
“The FAO [the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations] estimates that – depending on the country – women comprise between 20 and 50 percent of the agricultural labor force and make up 3 to 20 percent of the landowners. However, women have less access than men to productive resources. There is a significant gender gap for access to land, credit, pesticides and fertilizers as well as extension services. Women are also often more constrained by time due to the double burden of domestic and farm work.
“There is a need to continue working together in order to overcome the constraints which currently hold back female producers. For example, women need to be included in technical training. Women’s access to finance need to be improved. Women’s role in the marketing cash crops need to be strengthened – this also means overcoming barriers resulting from established cultural norms. These steps are crucial in order to increase productivity in the coffee sector.
“However, efforts to promote gender equality should not be limited to the producer. It is extremely important to strengthen the role of women along the entire coffee value chain. For example, women are still underrepresented in producer organizations and too few women hold leadership roles in the sector.”
”Since 2003, the IWCA has been successfully campaigning for women’s economic empowerment in the global coffee community. This effort is very much appreciated by the International Coffee Organization (ICO). We believe that gender equality is an important element for a sustainable coffee sector.
“The coffee industry has come a long way addressing the challenge of producing and sourcing quality coffee which meets improved environmental, social and economic criteria. Sustainability has become a core feature of coffee production strategies and over the past decade we have witnessed a transformation of the coffee industry.”
”An empirical study undertaken by the London-based NGO ‘Twin’ indicates that in some areas of East Africa income of female farmers derived from coffee production is 40 per cent lower compared to male coffee producers.
“Nonetheless, research shows that the gender gap can disappear if women are provided with the same access to production factors and skills. Women reach the same productivity levels as men and can significantly improve the farm income. According to the FAO, closing the gender gap could increase the output of farms headed by women by 20 to 30 per cent.”
“AUBREY: The group of women on that bus knew that they needed to do something really different. You see, the reason coffee and poverty are so inextricably linked is because the people who do the back-breaking labor, handpicking the beans, have always been many, many steps removed from us, the consumers, who actually drink coffee. Their work is invisible to us. In the coffee supply chain there are brokers, exporters, millers, roasters. And as each takes a little cut of the deal, precious little goes back to farm communities. Now, Karen and Margaret knew that to change things, the women farmers had to learn to set up coffee businesses. They needed direct access to brokers and buyers. They needed to learn to make the deals.
“CEBREROS: The idea is, don't give a man a fish or a woman a fish, teach them to fish.
“AUBREY: So what happened next is that they chartered a new organization, the International Women's Coffee Alliance. It's based on the Rotary Club model of local chapters. There are mentorship programs, opportunities for women to learn from each other and connect with key players along the supply chain. That was about a decade ago, and the organization was slow to start. But now there are 15 chapters, from Kenya to Costa Rica.”
”Yields on plots managed by women are lower than those managed by men, the report said. But this is not because women are worse farmers than men. They simply do not have the same access to inputs. If they did, their yields would go up, they would produce more and overall agricultural production would increase, the report said.”
“We must eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, ensure that access to resources is more equal and that agricultural policies and programmes are gender-aware, and make women's voices heard in decision-making at all levels. Women must be seen as equal partners in sustainable development.” [FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf]
“In addition to increasing overall agricultural production, closing the gender gap in agriculture would also put more income in the hands of women - a proven strategy for improving health, nutrition and education outcomes for children.”
"One of the best investments we can make is in building the human capital of women and girls - basic education, market information and agricultural extension services are essential building blocks for agricultural productivity and economic growth.” [Terri Raney, editor of the SOFA report]
”On the family-owned coffee plots that produce most of Africa's coffee, it is usually women who undertake the majority of maintenance and harvesting work. Here, and in other coffee-producing areas around the world, their contribution is vital. Despite this, however, they tend to have little control over the harvest proceeds, and coffee industry structures seldom, if at all, make provision for women's interests. Without information or training beyond purely field-related issues, women have limited opportunity to contribute to the decision-making processes that affect them.
“Research shows that increased access to resources for women, particularly in the agricultural industry, has great effects on education, health, nutrition and overall welfare, and on poverty reduction. For women - and thus families and communities - to thrive, traditional gender divisions need to stop confining women to subsistence production and start looking at women's potential in the commercial sphere. Rural women won't be offered the opportunities they deserve until governments make targeted reforms. Awareness and education are crucial.”
