In Guatemala’s coffee market, gender inequality is hugely evident, despite over 25% of coffee farms being female- operated and 70% of coffee production provided by women. Maria Renee Morales, Assistant Manager at Volcafe Guatemala, spearheaded the La Morena program, aiming to showcase the work of women coffee farmers across Guatemala. The program acts as a platform to empower women producers, educating them on farming techniques and supporting them in getting deserved prices for their coffee- transforming cycles of poverty into cycles of prosperity. Beginning with just 4 female producers, the high-quality coffee of La Morena stocked out shortly after coming to market, and growers celebrated the beginning of newfound hope. Today, Hundreds of smallholder female farmers from Guatemala are part of the program and continue to build solid, independent futures for themselves.
