Press Release: Bean Voyage Launches Youth Fellowship to Collaborate With Women in Coffee Producing Regions of Costa Rica

San Jose, May 3: Bean Voyage, a non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting womxn coffee producers, is launching a Youth Fellowship to provide young people (ages 20-25) with the resources and mentorship to drive social change in Costa Rica.

While the global coffee industry has become a multi-billion dollar business and a critical source of revenue for many countries, the industry has also created deep economic disparities throughout the value chain from growers to traders, processors, exporters, and importers. And the most harshly affected by these disparities are womxn coffee producers.

Womxn own 25% of the world’s coffee farms and form 70% of the workforce in the coffee supply chain. Yet, they earn 39% less than their male counterparts, produce lower quality yields, and are challenged with lack of finance and gender-based discrimination.

Bean Voyage is a collective of entrepreneurs, economists, sociologists, activists and coffee professionals. Two things unite them: a passion for social justice and coffee. Most of the team works remotely and many are volunteers, but they all use the power of collaboration towards a shared vision of a sustainable future in smallholder communities.

The organization is on a mission to change the status-quo through the Care Trade Program. The Care Trade program consists of two elements: training and market access. First, by equipping smallholder womxn coffee producers with the knowledge to process their own coffee, the organization is transforming their businesses from pre-commercial to commercial, ready for the market. Second, by directly connecting these producers to buyers and roasters around the world, they are ensuring 3x revenue from coffee sales in comparison to commercial coffee sales.

Sometimes changing the world needs a little help. This year, the organization is growing its programs to work with 120 smallholder women from 5 cantons in the country. The growth strategy includes providing training and mentorship to young people in the communities called “Care Fellows” who will become the facilitators of Bean Voyage’s programmes. This year, Bean Voyage is recruiting 5 Care Fellows, and plan to exponentially expand the program in the coming years in collaboration with institutional partners such as the Government of Costa Rican and regional cooperatives.

Youth interested in becoming Care Fellows are requested to submit an application for the Youth Fellowship by May 20, 2019. This learning opportunity is especially significant for early-stage young social entrepreneurs to support positive impacts in their community while getting valuable experience through mentoring and business training. Apply to join the Bean Voyage team and become part of a highly capable and impactful next generation supporting a sustainable and more equitable future for Costa Rica’s coffee industry.