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In 2012, Starbucks reported its average price for green beans was $2.56 per pound. However, that is the price it paid to the broker, not to the farmer. After backing out shipping, insurance, importer and exporter and mill costs, that price would be closer to $2.20 paid per pound to the farmer. By 2014, Starbucks was only paying $1.72 to the broker (maybe $1.36 to the farmer). By paying the lower amount, Starbucks took $387 million out of the farmers’ pockets.

So, who is winning this game? Not the farmers, not the public and not the environment. Instead of paying enough to support the farmers, large and small coffee companies contribute lesser amounts to nonprofits for clean water, health and environmental projects under the banner of "corporate sustainability." If coffee companies really want to fight the difficulties facing coffee farmers and the environment, they should just pay up. If Starbucks returned to its 2012 broker and farmer prices, it nearly would double family income on most small farms.

As an industry, we have lived long and well by treating farmers just like coffee. We see them as fungible commodities instead of true partners in the success of our businesses who are integral to effective adaptation to climate change and other issues of the day. The days of maximizing profits without seriously incorporating farmers’ concerns that bind us all together are over. It is time to pay up.

Why is gender equity in the coffee industry important?

A 2018 report by the International Coffee Organization shows that the role of female coffee producers is grossly undervalued. It highlights that despite women contributing up to 70% of labour in coffee production, they have systematically lower access to resources, such as land, credit, and information, than men. The result is a “measurable gender gap in economic outcomes, including yields, productivity and farm income”.
However, evidence also suggests that when women have full participation in public, economic, and political life, it can lead to a number of significant benefits, including economic growth, poverty reduction, and higher agricultural output. For example, closing the gender gap in low-income countries with regards to access to resources would boost global agricultural output by 2.5% to 4%, according to FAO research. This translates into higher farm income and improved household welfare.

Close the gap

Women around the world are the backbone of global agricultural production, making up almost half of the worldwide agricultural workforce. In some countries, that number goes as high as 70%. Women play a vital role in getting food to our table, and yet because of deep gender inequalities, many of those women aren’t able to realize their full potential, both as workers and as community members.

From earning little (to sometimes no income) to lack of representation in leadership roles to access and control of land, women in agriculture face many obstacles. Tackling those obstacles provides an opportunity for change. Today, it’s estimated that eliminating the gap between men and women in access to agricultural resources would increase the yields on women’s farms by 20% to 30% and increase agricultural production in developing countries by up to 4%. If we can put the correct policies in place that empower women, the future is female.

The Future of Coffee Farming Is Female

Why is gender equity in the coffee industry important?

Close the gap