our why:
Ensuring thriving incomes for
smallholder women farmers
As in many parts of the world, traditional social structures in Costa Rican and Mexican communities have given men more power and agency than women. In Mexico, Costa Rica, and much of Central America, this is known as machismo: a tendency to devalue anything or anyone perceived as feminine and value traditionally masculine people and activities instead.
In the coffee sector, machismo shows up in a number of ways that limit the power and empowerment of women.
Land
The majority of high-quality land is owned and inherited by men.
finance
credit is hard to access without proof of land ownership and/or a fixed income.
Time
Women are often expected to farm, take care of household tasks, and pursue additional income.
leadership
Many cooperatives require members to own their land. even when women are part of cooperatives, they often have less time to devote to meetings and leadership positions.
labor
Women who run farms and are heads of households often have smaller families and fewer family members who can work on the farm.
education
Women in rural areas historically have lower access to education. In recent years, however, this has changed. Younger women coffee farmers are now achieving higher levels of education.
Why You Should Care?
Eradicating the gender gaps needs to be prioritized because it is the right thing to do. Moreover, closing the gender gaps across the board is beneficial to the coffee industry since it can increase coffee yield and improve quality.
With regard to coffee quality, one study reported increased coffee cupping scores when both women and men participated in technical training sessions.
At the societal level, empowering rural women can lead to social, economic, and environmental improvements within rural communities. Humanitarian crises also tend to impact women more severely than men. So, when addressing coffee industry-specific issues and crises, it’s imperative to always consider their impacts on women and ensure that solutions are gender equitable.
Although gender inequality is a pervasive issue throughout Latin America and the world, it’s important to keep in mind that individual women experience gender inequalities at a deeply personal level. Furthermore, empowerment within the coffee sector can extend beyond coffee production. For example, the development of greater confidence or an improved sense of self-worth from participating in cooperatives is valuable outside of these organizations.