GLOBAL COFFEEPLATFORM

“Improvements in gender equality and economic growth can be mutually reinforcing, while gender inequalities tend to be costly and inefficient.” ~ UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) Agency, 2016.

Closing the gender gap is key to sustainable coffee

A mounting body of evidence indicates that closing the gender gap is a key strategy toward achieving a sustainable coffee sector. A number of tools exist to support coffee industry action to improve gender equity in their supply chain activities; however, companies have so far been slow to begin to integrate them.

The Global Coffee Platform has prioritized a Gender & Youth Collective Action Network to encourage greater engagement from the coffee sector, and has developed a collaboration with CQI’s Partnership for Gender Equity (PGE) to help overcome such hurdles. During workshops conducted at the AFCA Conference in February and an industry meeting at end of March in Geneva, PGE explored the missing links for greater action and investment in gender equity initiatives.

With the input from these workshops and additional engagement with GCP members, PGE will develop an Engagement Guide to support industry actors to design gender engagements in their supply chain and integrate gender methodologies and measures into their existing projects. The guide will provide tools for roasters, retailers and traders to engage in conversation about gender equity and identify practical actions to support gender equity in their own organizations and with supply chain partners.

Share your experience

PGE invites GCP members to showcase their company’s experience in supporting gender equity in the Guide by submitted a one-page description of their experience by May 30th. A webinar will be scheduled for mid May to share more details about the Engagement Guide and the process underway for its development.

For further information, please contact Kimberly Easson of the Coffee Quality Institute (keasson@coffeeinsitute.org) or Caroline Glowka (glowka@globalcoffeeplatform.org).