The stories behind your daily cup of coffee are stories of resilience, determination, and community solidarity in the face of multiple global crises. As women coffee producers, we are unevenly impacted by the effects of these challenges, but our experiences give us the unique wisdom to respond to them.

 
As COVID-19 began to surge around the world, we came together as five women coffee producers in Costa Rica to document our challenges and celebrations, learning to use cameras and tell our own stories with the support of a virtual production team. 

A year later, we each created a short film to share our voices, stories, and determination to tell the world how coffee has shaped our lives. 

Our stories give context and personalize the global reality of coffee production:

• In the foreground of climate change, income inequality, and gender discrimination, women coffee producers face greater challenges than our 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 our male competitors due to gendered barriers (Specialty Coffee Association). 

• A market dominated by a few big players means the cost of production continues to rise while the price point for coffee stays flat, particularly impacting small-holder producers.

• With unpredictable weather patterns emerging in a changing climate, we must work harder each season for smaller yields.
   

After watching our stories, we hope you will never taste your coffee the same again.  

 

With gratitude,

Arleen Jiménez, Ericka Mora, María Jiménez, Margoth Rivera, and Tatiana Vargas