It is reported that up to 70% of all work done on coffee farms is performed by women. In contrast, their legal representation as landowners and association membership tops out at 20% and falls as low as 5% in some countries. This leaves many women and families with sometimes hopeless futures.
In response to this inequity and inequality, we have chosen to create a year-round offering sourced exclusively from women coffee farmers. These producer groups have been selected from a list of associations that Café Imports has established within their network of producers. They began their program in 2012, paying members a gender-equity premium on top of the quality-based initial price for their coffees. Through working alongside Café Imports, we gain access to their years of experience and a greater understanding of the social and economic impact this premium makes in each community.
GARMINDO cooperative’s full name is the Gayo Arabica Mahkota Indonesia Cooperative, and it is an association that started in 2019 with 625 smallholder farmer members. They have a women coffee producers subgroup, from whom this coffee comes. The women members typically bring their coffee in cherry form to a collection point where it is de-pulped, fermented underwater for 12 hours, and given a pre-dry before undergoing the Wet-Hulling process. The coffee is dried on patios and typically takes 2–3 days under sunny conditions. It can take up to 7 days when the weather is rainy and humid.