So, this has been a strange month. We set out to celebrate women in coffee for the whole of March - but, as I’m sure you can understand, the current situation demanded our attention. While there’s a lot on everyone’s mind right now, it’s still important to remember why women in coffee need a month of recognition:

The facts and figures

• Women do 70% of physical work on the coffee farm
• Women are 43% of the agricultural workforce, full stop

but…

• Only 15% of farmland, equipment, and crops are owned by women
• Only 5% of relevant coffee farming training goes to women
• Only 25-35% of coffee farms are actually RUN by women

and…

• Giving women more opportunities could mean a 20-30% rise in production
• “The world economy could add trillions of dollars in growth in the next ten years” if the world raises the proportion of women in the workforce - The McKinsey Global Institute

All of that? That’s why we wanted to focus everyone’s attention on women in the coffee industry. And raise money for a great charity while doing it…

We raised £2282 (and counting!) for Hand in Hand International

£1 from each bag of El Triunfo and Cenicafé 1 (two women-grown Limited Editions we launched in March) was donated to Hand in Hand International - a charity working to pull families out of poverty, by empowering women to seek entrepreneurial opportunities.

We’re happy to tell you that we raised at least £2000 for the incredible work they do - you can read all about that here. Thank you for your support!

Read about out favourite women in coffee

If you’re interested in reading more about the challenges women face on the farm, and some incredible trailblazers we’re proud to support, then grab a brew and have a browse:

• 3 women-led coffee groups, Colombia and Guatemala
• Karla Baquero, Colombia
• Epiphanie Mukashyaka, Rwanda
• Maria del Rosario, Colombia
• Victoria Concepcion Aguirra, Honduras
• Nyiramasoni Donatille, Rwanda
• Maria Olano, Colombia
• Asomuprisma Women’s Association, Colombia