PERU CAFÉ FEMENINO

REGION: San Ignacio, Cajamarca
PRODUCER: CECANOR
PROCESS METHOD: Fully Washed
ALTITUDE: 950 - 1780m above sea level
VARIETAL: Catimor, Caturra, Paches, Bourbon, Mondo Novo, Catuai, Typica

Central de Cafetaleros del Nor Oriente (CECANOR) was established in 1999. It now incorporates a total of 2,007 coffee families, located in four departments of the north-eastern region.

Coffee growing is one of the most important productive activities in the region; constituting a viable, economic, social and ecological alternative in the lives of approximately 50,000 families of small producers dedicated to this activity, many of these are women.

The Café Femenino Program has a huge impact in the daily lives of women and creates greater gender equality in families and communities.

Women play a big part in coffee growing and make up 43% of global agricultural farming labour. However, for many coffee farms across the globe, men hold the economic power and decide where the money is to be delegated within the community.

Out of the need for a support system to unite women who are marginalised and to break the cycle of poverty and abuse in these remote communities, a women’s cooperative was born. In 2003, the first conference of Women Coffee Producers was held in Northern Peru. In 2004, 464 women united and created Café Fememino Cooperative. Cafe Fememino now spreads across 10 countries worldwide.

We had the privilege of meeting some of the women from Café Femenino when we visited Sumatra in 2016. Our purpose was to visit the First Women’s Fairtrade Coffee cooperative in Asia. This cooperative, with the support of Fairtrade and the Café Femenino Project, is conducting leadership and business training to improve, in their words, “the skills and courage they need to be successful in entrepreneurship, financial management, and high-quality coffee production."

Café Femenino is paid in addition to fairtrade organic premiums. With economic control in their hands, funds allow women coffee growers to pursue their quest for equality and independence. Investments go towards community betterment projects, including children’s libraries, schools, health and nutritional education, and programs that build self-esteem, human rights awareness, and literacy. It has allowed women and mothers to become role models and set a standard for women as leaders for the generations to come.

This coffee is a favourite of our roasters. Read the roaster's journal here