International Women's Day and the current state of the coffee industry
We celebrated International Women's Day last week on March 8th. This day, which originates from activities to gain and improve the rights of women workers, is a day to celebrate what women are achieving and encourage the empowerment of women around the world.
However, even now, more than 100 years after the 1904 demonstrations that inspired the date, March 8th, we still cannot say the damage and lost opportunities caused by discrimination and gender inequality in society have been completely resolved. And unfortunately, the coffee industry also suffers from it.
Although there are regional differences, surveys including the ones by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) show that women can make up to 70% of the workforce in coffee production. Despite this, the reality is that due to cultural and social barriers, the existence of these women is not visible to consumers and policy makers, and is often marginalized.
As a result, economic rights and educational opportunities are limited, and many people fall into a vicious cycle of poverty and become victims of exploitation.
One of the initiatives that are striving to change the world for the better is Bean Voyage, an NPO that supports female coffee farmers and producers. In coffee producing countries such as Costa Rica and Mexico, they provide trades based on fair prices and training to women involved in coffee production to encourage economic independence and help them create better lives for themselves and their families.
2050 COFFEE × Bean Voyage
The vision of Kurasu's sister brand, 2050 COFFEE, is to contribute to create a sustainable future for the coffee industry. One approach is to support meaningful initiatives from a social and environmental perspective.
As part of this effort, 2050 COFFEE deeply sympathizes with Bean Voyage's value and philosophy, and has decided to support their Farmer School, a training program for female producers in Mexico to work on renovating their farms, with a long-term possibility of purchasing their coffee in the future.
We first learned about Bean Voyage when we attended a session held at Momos Coffee during the WOC Busan. We were very impressed both by the talk given by Bean Voyage’s founder, Sunghee Tark-san, and their coffee they let the attendants cup- since then, through several encounters at events such as Cafe Show exhibition in Seoul, we had the opportunities to deepen our relationship. Through our shared passion for a sustainable coffee industry and our awareness of issues, this valuable partnership was formed.
Resilient Communities Initiative for Sustainable and Productive Farm Renovation
The main initiative we will be participating in this time is Bean Voyage's Resilient Communities Initiative program, which is a program that provides education and support to producers in Mexico.
“In the regions where Bean Voyage is active, many of the coffee trees are aging and no longer as productive, and they are highly vulnerable to diseases such as coffee rust. Unfortunately, many of the farmers in these areas do not have access to the resources or training necessary to renovate their farms.” Tark-san explains.
To tackle the issue, Bean Voyage is launching a 12 months program to provide the farmers with the knowledge and the tools needed to create plant nurseries. With the nurseries, they will be able to grow new coffee varieties that are not only resistant to climate change but also yield high-quality coffee.
Together, we can support farmers in Mexico with the resources and training they need to renovate their farms and adopt sustainable practices. Eventually, this newly renovated coffee could be brought to the consumers that 2050 serves, creating a direct link between the farmers’ hard work and the consumers who value their efforts. This partnership would not only enhance the livelihoods of farmers but also bring sustainably produced, high-quality coffee to market, benefiting everyone in the value chain.
-Bean Voyage founder Sunghee Tark-san x 2050 COFFEE interview
Tark-san continues, "we believe that this collaboration has the potential to create a lasting, positive impact on both the communities we work with and the coffee industry as a whole. Through education, sustainability, and ethical consumption, we can work together to build a stronger, more resilient coffee supply chain."
2050 COFFEE not only supports educational programs through funding, but also plans to raise awareness of Mexican female producers in the Japanese market and share information as a Bean Voyage ambassador.
As a Consumer, What Role Can We Play?
"Remember, voting with your dollar holds incredible power—often more than we realize," says Tark-san.
Tark-san encourages us to stay mindful and curious about not only where the coffee came from but also about the hard work of the people involved in the journey and what their stories are, “because it's only when we, as consumers, care deeply about the journey of our coffee that we can create the meaningful change we want to see in the industry.”
We hope that 2050 COFFEE’s collaboration with Bean Voyage will help coffee enthusiasts in Japan become more aware of Bean Voyage's work and the efforts of female producers, and help make coffee consumption more fair, ethical, and sustainable.
We plan to continue sharing information about the programs we are supporting. In a few years, we might be able to enjoy a more resilient, higher-quality Mexican coffee together with you at 2050 COFFEE- everyone at Kurasu is really looking forward to it.
Be sure to follow 2050 COFFEE on social media to receive Bean Voyage activity reports and the latest information!
