The 2023 International Women’s Coffee Alliance Convention in Ethiopia marked the 20th anniversary of IWCA and brought together the international coffee community, including leaders from the global chapter network representing 33 countries.
Perspective by Gold Quetulio
Women empowerment, more often than not, is associated with trailblazers. This story involves six women banding together to enhance the coffee industry through empowerment and connection. Two decades later, the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) has 35 chapters, with more than 16,000 members from both coffee-producing and coffee-consuming countries.
As a global organization, IWCA achieves empowerment through leadership development, strategic partnership, and amplified market stability. Over the years, it has facilitated organizational partnerships with other multi-stakeholder organizations, including the African Fine Coffees Association, International Coffee Organization, National Coffee Association, Specialty Coffee Association, World Coffee Alliance, International Labor Organization, and International Trade Center.
Sharon Riechers, IWCA President, shares that “IWCA will move forward in 2025 continuing our progress on impact pathways of developing impactful programs by strengthening our global team, prioritizing communication of who we are, what we do, and how we do it to engage with our stakeholders, and executing programs for our chapter members and beneficiaries in a manner designed for chapter long-term sustainability. Each of our pathways helps IWCA’s mission of uniting our chapters through our global network and supporting their work, and the additional pathway of research and advocacy on issues relating to women in the international coffee community.”
Equality and Equity
It’s imperative that a women’s network exists in a male-dominated industry such as coffee. A 2018 insight report of the International Coffee Organization states that “Coffee plays an important role in the economy of many tropical countries by providing livelihoods for an estimated 25 million rural households. The performance of the sector could be enhanced by strengthening the women who represent a crucial resource along the entire coffee value chain through their role as farmers, laborers, and entrepreneurs but face several constraints in accessing production factors.”
Likewise, the Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations’ 2023 report on The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems estimates that if half of small-scale producers benefited from development interventions that focused on empowering women, it would significantly raise the incomes of an additional 58 million people and increase the resilience of an additional 235 million people.
The IWCA is uniquely poised to provide a leadership role to address some of these challenges through education and advocacy to ensure an equitable coffee industry. Its website hosts a repository of information–from published reports to webinars—and hosts annual events, including expositions, cuppings, competitions, and business matchings. Whether online or onsite, the alliance helps inspire and continue the work of its chapter leaders and members.
From Dreams to Reality
Philippine chapter president Rosario Juan, cafe owner and roaster, shares that after attending the 2015 IWCA summit in Bogota, Colombia, and witnessing the first World Coffee Events women’s barista championship, she was inspired to organize an all-female competition back home. In 2019, Rosario and Vanessa Caceres led the first Women’s Latte Art Throwdown, spotlighting talented female baristas in the Philippines. The competition is now held every March to celebrate Women’s Month.
Female baristas compete and showcase their latte art skills at the Women’s Latte Art Throwdown at the Commune Cafe in Makati City, Philippines.
Participants conquer their fears of being in front of a crowd while gaining confidence and pride in their latte art skills. Win or lose, lifelong friendships are made between fellow baristas, knowledge is shared, and the spirit of collaboration permeates the air.
As a licensed Q grader, Rosario is also actively involved in helping women farmers improve the quality of their coffee. “We’ve been traveling all around the Philippines and created 1 to 3-day training programs to help address issues in the farm,” she says. “My primary involvement is to help train them on coffee cupping, explaining the pros and cons, and then aid them in tasting. It’s always a very interesting exercise. We get to see their reactions to their coffee versus the coffees from other origins. There are a lot of good coffees in the Philippines, but that is just the beginning. These women coffee farmers are very hardworking, very passionate about what they produce, and also very eager to learn.”
When asked which other fellow IWCA she looks up to, Rosario mentioned Princess Kumala “Lalah” Sug-Elardo. One of the chapter’s founding members, Princess Lalah rallied and taught the women and young girls in her community to help in coffee farming, processing, and sorting, which she learned from the other leaders and members of IWCA Philippines. Soon, they were able to increase their yield and produce better coffee, gaining the attention of buyers from Manila and even abroad. This attracted more women from the community to the coffee industry, and eventually, even the men put down their firearms and ceased being rebels.
Princess Lalah with the next generation of female coffee producers in Patikul, Sulu, Philippines.
With their new lives as coffee farmers, they earned extra income and became part of the Princess’s group. Their brand is known as Peace & Coffee, true to the ‘arms to farms’ story of Patikul, Sulu. With their cooperative's profits, children were sent to school, and roads and a community health center were built. The war-torn area is now peaceful, and Princess Lalah has been recognized in national and regional awards as an inspiring leader and entrepreneur.
Driven to Succeed
There are many remarkable stories in Asia and Oceania and a lot more to discover from IWCA chapters in Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, and other coffee-consuming places. Imagine the sheer number of women farmers, processors, community leaders, millers, sorters, traders, roasters, baristas, cafe owners, policymakers, and consumers worldwide.
After witnessing the first World Coffee Events women’s barista championship at the 2015 IWCA summit in Bogota, Colombia, Philippines chapter president Rosario Juan was inspired to start an all-female barista competition back home.
Why are all these women in coffee? Chit Juan, one of IWCA’s board members, explains, “There’s attention to detail, patience, and perseverance which give coffee its unique taste and flavors. From farm to cup, there is a lady behind that fruit, behind that bean.”
Trailblazing continues as long as there are fellow women and male champions worldwide, and they will succeed for their family, their country, and the global community. That’s the power of women in coffee.