Embassy of Canada supports Bean Voyage to increase capacities and income for Smallholder Women Coffee Farmers in Costa Rica in response to COVID-19.

Press Release

San José - July 1, 2020 - Bean Voyage is pleased to announce that they have entered into a partnership with the Embassy of Canada in Costa Rica that will support Bean Voyage’s world-class training delivery and market platform for smallholder women coffee producers.

With financing from the Embassy’s Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), the project “Colaboración Virtual 2020 (COVIR-20)”, is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic to continue providing key knowledge programs and market access support to smallholder coffee producers by leveraging existing low-cost and highly accessible technologies. 

Bean Voyage piloted this program for 67 smallholder women coffee producers in the aftermath of COVID-19, providing key knowledge materials, and connecting smallholder women with market partners around the world, all with the use of a simple tool - WhatsApp. In this scale-up phase, the collaboration aims to support 400 smallholder women from all six coffee-producing regions of Costa Rica. 

Photo: Alexa Romano

Photo: Alexa Romano

The key objectives of the project include providing smallholder women coffee producers with weekly curated learning materials via WhatsApp with voice notes and images; hosting virtual meetings where producers are given opportunities to ask questions and test their learning through interactive games; and, leveraging early momentum for market access by negotiating contracts with small-scale roasters in Canada, the UK, and the USA.

Over the next three months, the project will recruit 10 youth facilitators through informational webinars, mapping of local youth populations, on-line application and induction process, and develop a baseline knowledge survey in coordination with the National Coffee Institute (ICafe) and local universities. These facilitators, mostly from coffee-producing regions, will receive 200 hours of facilitator training on basic coffee production, processing and quality control, gender equality, gender-inclusive methodology, and community work, farm finances, crisis management, focus on pests and diseases, coffee commercialization - focus on roasting and cupping, and tools for facilitation and leadership. In addition, during the training, youth facilitators will promote COVIR-20 in their communities, enrolling 40 smallholder women (each) into the program.

After the initial training-of-trainer phase, the project will enroll 400 smallholder women coffee producers in 20 communities from 6 coffee producing regions via the facilitators into the COVIR-20 program. The producers will receive 2 online workshops per week (40 per group) with regular testing on knowledge retention and a pre- and post-baseline knowledge survey.

Photo: Marlies Prinzl

Photo: Marlies Prinzl

Currently, the project aims to conclude the program with a Care Summit, which will be hosted in-person for 150 smallholder women coffee producers to share experiences and learn from each other. Although the event is currently designed to be in-person by the end of February 2021, the project is aware of the possible changes in conditions depending on COVID-19 restrictions. The aim of the summit is also to connect smallholder women coffee producers graduating from this program to network with roasters, buyers, and other coffee professionals. 

The Government of Canada has a Feminist International Assistance Policy under which Canada seeks to fund organizations and projects that will make a positive impact in the lives of women and the communities and sectors in which they work. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women around the world and through the CFLI project with Bean Voyage, the Embassy of Canada looks forward to supporting Costa Rica’s women coffee producers during the pandemic and into the economic recovery.

The project aims to consolidate 20 tonnes of women-powered coffee for buyers in Canada, the U.K., and the USA, ensuring a 3x increase in farm income, improving agency for smallholder women coffee producers within their households, and encouraging local youth from coffee communities to view a more sustainable future in the coffee industry and engage with their innovative vision for their own communities.

To arrange an interview, please contact:

Adriana Vasquez Rodgriguez, Country Manager, Bean Voyage

adriana@beanvoysage.org; +506 83236927

Michael Martin, Local Coordinator, Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI)

fondo.canadiense.cr@gmail.com; +506 8309 1026

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About Bean Voyage: Bean Voyage is a feminist organization building an equitable value chain with smallholder womxn farmers. Operating since 2017, Bean Voyage provides training and market access to smallholder women coffee producers in Costa Rica. 

About Canada Fund for Local Initiatives: The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives - managed by the Embassy of Canada in Costa Rica - supports small-scale, high impact projects, contributing to the empowerment of vulnerable communities and populations and the promotion of all human rights. For over 30 years and in more than 120 countries, the Canada Fund has contributed to promoting democracy, supporting human rights, ensuring security and stability, creating opportunities and equality for youth and women, and stimulating sustainable economic growth for all, including actions related to the environment. Currently, many Canada Fund projects focus on the response to COVID-19, ensuring human dignity especially related to health and improving economic conditions for those most affected by the pandemic.

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