2050 COFFEE × Bean Voyage: A future where women producers are supported through coffee
International Women's Day and the Current State of the Coffee Industry
International Women's Day was celebrated last week on March 8th. Originating from the movement to secure and improve the rights of female workers, this day has become a day to think about and promote the empowerment of women around the world.
However, more than 100 years have passed since the initial demonstration in 1904, and the harm and loss of opportunities caused by gender discrimination and inequality in society have yet to be fully resolved. This remains a major issue in the coffee industry as well.
Although there are regional differences, surveys by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other organizations indicate that women make up around 70% of coffee production workers. However, due to cultural and social barriers, the presence of these women is often hidden from consumers.
In such an environment, it goes without saying that their existence is unlikely to be recognized in decision-making forums such as policy formulation, and as a result, their economic rights and educational opportunities are limited, and many of them fall into a vicious cycle of poverty. Support efforts are underway around the world to change this situation.
One such initiative is Bean Voyage, an NPO that supports female coffee farmers and producers in coffee-producing countries such as Costa Rica and Mexico. They provide fair prices and training to encourage women involved in coffee production to become economically independent and improve their lives.
2050 COFFEE × Bean Voyage
2050 COFFEE's vision is to create a sustainable coffee industry, supporting meaningful social and environmental initiatives while shaping the coffee culture of the future.
As part of this, 2050 COFFEE deeply sympathizes with Bean Voyage's philosophy and has decided to support the Farmer School, a training program for Mexican female producers to work on farm revitalization, and to collaborate with them with a view to purchasing their coffee in the future.
I first encountered Bean Voyage at a session about the initiative held at WOC Busan. At the venue, Momos Coffee, I had the opportunity to cup coffee while listening to a detailed explanation from Bean Voyage founder Sunghee Tark, and I was deeply impressed by the wonderfulness of the initiative.
We had several opportunities to meet again after that, at exhibitions such as Cafe Show in Seoul, and our connection continued to grow. Our bond deepened through our shared passion for a sustainable coffee industry and awareness of the challenges it poses, which led to this current partnership.
Aiming for knowledge-based, sustainable and highly productive farm restoration
The main initiative we will be participating in this time is Bean Voyage's Resilient Communities Initiative, an education and support program for Mexican producers.
In some areas of Mexico, coffee plantations are facing problems such as declining productivity due to aging and reduced resistance to diseases such as rust. However, producers lack the resources and knowledge necessary to restore their plantations, preventing any solutions.
So Bean Voyage decided to support this by launching a year-round program that teaches growers how to create plant nurseries that not only grow varieties that are resistant to warming, environmental change, and disease, but also produce higher yields.
We feel that our partnership with 2050 COFFEE will make our efforts more effective and help Mexican producers restore their farms in a sustainable way.
If the new coffee they grow can eventually be offered at 2050 COFFEE, it will be possible to directly connect the efforts of producers with consumers who recognize the value of that effort.
This partnership will not only improve the living standards of producers, but also ensure that sustainable, high-quality products reach the market, benefiting everyone along the value chain.
- Bean Voyage founder Sunghee Tark x 2050 COFFEE interview
Tark added, "We believe this collaboration has the potential to have a lasting, positive impact on both the communities we serve and the coffee industry as a whole. Through education, sustainability, and ethical consumption, we can build a supply chain that is stronger and more resilient to environmental changes."
In addition to supporting educational programs through funding, 2050 COFFEE also plans to raise awareness of Mexican female producers in the Japanese market and disseminate information as Bean Voyage ambassadors.
What we as consumers can do
"Remember that shopping is voting and it's powerful," says Tark.
Tark believes that if we, as consumers, continue to take an interest not only in where coffee comes from, but also in the journey of how many people are involved and the stories that lie behind it before it reaches us, we can bring about positive change across the industry.
We hope that our collaboration with 2050 COFFEE will help raise awareness among Japanese consumers about Bean Voyage's activities and the efforts of female producers, helping to make coffee consumption more fair, ethical, and sustainable.
We plan to continue releasing information about the programs we are supporting.
In a few years, we may be able to enjoy stronger, higher quality Mexican coffee with you all at 2050 COFFEE... All of our staff are looking forward to it.
Please follow 2050 COFFEE on social media to receive updates and updates on Bean Voyage activities!