The way forward: Accelerating gender equity in coffee value chains
This report (PDF) from the Coffee Quality Institute tries to respond to key concerns related for addressing gender equity in coffee supply chains and aims to share learning on challenges and best practices. It proposes recommendations for individual companies, public-private partnerships and the coffee industry as a whole, to create a foundation for industry-wide collaboration towards a more resilient coffee supply chain through greater gender equity. An estimated 25 million smallholder coffee farmers produce 80 percent of the world’s coffee. Women do much of the work on smallholder coffee farms, however, despite their contributions they are often excluded from decision-making processes and have less access to resources (land, credit, agricultural inputs, training, information, and leadership opportunities). While some efforts have been made within the coffee industry to address gender equity and women’s empowerment, they are not widespread and systemic. Much more can be done by adapting existing policies, practices, and projects to become more gender aware and equitable, and by investing in programs to improve gender equity. This practical guide provides guidelines, discusses the enabling factors and proposes next steps for partnerships.