International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognize the women whose work and commitment are a backbone of the global coffee industry. Across producing regions, women play vital roles in farm management, processing, cooperative leadership and quality oversight, contributing to stronger and more resilient supply chains.
Women are fundamental to the future of coffee — and increasingly so as immigration trends have left women at home, responsible for meeting their families’, and the world’s, growing needs. Women are responsible for roughly half of the world’s food production — and in some places up to 80% of production. And yet, globally, women face food insecurity at higher rates than men and have disproportionate access to property rights, land rights, markets, credit and technical and educational support.
When we invest in women farmers, we are meaningfully investing in communities both local and global. It’s estimated that closing the empowerment gap between men and women in agriculture could add 1 trillion dollars to the global GDP and reduce food insecurity for 45 million people.
Further, it’s well established that women frequently use their earnings to reinvest in their families and communities, contributing to education, local infrastructure and long-term regional stability.
As you consider your green coffee needs, we encourage you to consider women-produced coffees and their outsized impact. NKG’s long-term presence in producing countries allows our colleagues to identify and support women-led and women-managed farms and organizations and — over many harvests — grow transparency, continuity, trust and meaningful collaboration.
Celebration of Support
If you’d like to learn more about these coffees and enjoy them with us — and are in the NYC area — we welcome you to join us at the Counter Culture Coffee Training Center at 375 Broome Street, in SoHo, on March 5 at 3 p.m.
We’ll briefly hear from colleagues working with women producers in Honduras and Mexico, and cup some long-time favorites, including Honduras NKG Bloom Gea. Click here to rvsp. We hope to see you there! •
