Our lives. Our land. Our coffee.

About the Series

If you drank coffee today, did you think about everything that contributed to the cup in your hands? Coffee is the world’s most popular drink, yet many remain unaware of the countless stories infused in each cup. Stories of resilience, determination, and community in the face of multiple global crises that leave women coffee producers exceptionally vulnerable.  

In the foreground of climate change, income inequality, and gender descrimination, women coffee producers face even greater challenges than their male counterparts. While women make up an estimated 70% of the labor in the global production of coffee, only about 20% of farms are run by women. Farms that are run by women face up to a 40% lower revenue compared to their male competitors (Specialty Coffee Association). 

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The global coffee market that is also dominated by a few big players, making it even more difficult for small batch producers to compete. The cost of production continues to rise while the price point for coffee stays flat. And with the unpredictable weather patterns brought by climate change, more work is going into smaller yields. Generations of traditional farming knowledge is at risk of being lost.
 

As COVID-19 began to surge around the world, five women coffee producers in Costa Rica embarked on a virtual film production workshop and started using consumer camcorders to document the celebrations and challenges. A year later, they have each created a short film offering their individual perspectives on how coffee has shaped their lives. Watch the stories of Alreen Jiménez, Ericka Mora, María Jiménez, Margoth Rivera, and Tatiana Vargas, and you will taste your coffee differently.