Buddy Brew Coffee’s Post

Exciting news! The freshly released 2023 Annual Report from Bean Voyage is here, and it's packed with incredible achievements! In just five years, we've made a remarkable impact: ▶ Supporting over 1,100 small-scale women coffee farmers in Costa Rica and Mexico, focusing on both depth and scale. ▶ Disbursing $60,800 in seed funds directly to smallholder women coffee farmers, supporting them to invest in their farms and other income-generating activities. ▶ Achieving an impressive return on investment: for every dollar given in seed funds, farmers have generated $4.50 in revenue within one year, totaling $273,600. ▶ Selling 67 tons of women-powered coffee to coffee shops worldwide, generating over $600k in revenue for the farmers, often at double the commodity market prices. ▶ Hosting two impactful Women Powered Coffee Summits, bringing together 350 individuals from various sectors of the coffee industry and fostering over 650 connections. ▶ Establishing the Farmer Advisory Committee, comprised of program graduates who now play a crucial role in planning and decision-making. Their vision is clear: to build 10,000 thriving businesses with smallholder women coffee farmers by the decade's end. Dive into the report and join them on this journey! ➕ Full report:  https://lnkd.in/eTCXnTVv ➕ TL;DR version: https://lnkd.in/eXnUZQy4

Imagine a world where over 200 African women in #Agribusiness are empowered to revolutionize Agriculture for future generations. This isn't just a dream—it's our mission, and my story exemplifies why it matters. My journey begins in the heart of my home—the kitchen. As a mother, my primary concern is simple yet profound: to ensure my family is consuming only the best, #healthiest food possible. This passion leads to becoming more than just a home cook in as far as #authenticity is concerned. I am evolving... from a home chef to a sought-after caterer. "I won't #cook unless I know exactly how the #ingredients were grown or produced," #Authenticity matters. #Organic farming and the promotion of #IndigenousVegetables aren't just business choices—they're the essence of who I am." My commitment to authenticity and organic practices isn't just about serving meals; it's about nurturing communities and preserving #CulturalHeritage through food. #IgniteAfricanWomenInAgribusinessFellowshipProgram #FromMyGarden2MyTable2TheCommunity #EmpowerWomenWhoFeedTheNation #LetsEndHungerInOurCommunities #HealthyEatsMalawi #MandyCreativesForHeritageCuisine #AgritourismSpace #Guzakuza https://gofund.me/6055ed5e

This year's #InternationalWomensDay theme is 'Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.' By investing in women, we can spark true, sustainable change, but funding is only one type of investment women need. On Samoa, the Samoan Women's Agricultural Group is supporting one woman's family coffee farm by providing a positive environment for women to make a living through agriculture. Thanks in part to the group's support, Pricilla and her family have found success and a fierce passion for coffee cultivation. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eX-qhZDv #IWD2024 | #InspireInclusion | #Samoa | #Sustainability | #InvestInWomen | #Agriculture | #Coffee | #ImpactInvestment | #FinancialInclusion | #WomenEntrepreneurs

Empowering Women in Agriculture: Celebrating Vicky Cherono As we honour the incredible contributions of women this Mothers' Month, we are thrilled to share the inspiring story of Vicky Cherono, a 50-year-old mother of four from Mauche, Nakuru County in Kenya's Rift Valley region. Vicky’s journey illustrates the transformative power of access to productive assets and financial services. With support from Empawa Sacco, she acquired a posho mill, revolutionizing her income, livelihood, and family’s well-being. Before this investment, Vicky struggled to sustain her family through traditional farming, facing unpredictable income and financial instability. - Improved Income: With the posho mill, Vicky processes maize into flour not only for her family but also for the local community. This has provided a steady source of income, significantly boosting her financial stability and allowing her to take her children through school and meet her family's needs more comfortably. - Value Addition: The posho mill has enabled Vicky to add value to her maize crops, increasing their market value. This has allowed her to earn more from her produce compared to selling raw maize. - Market for Farmers: By offering milling services, Vicky supports other local farmers by providing them with a market for their maize. This community service fosters a supportive local economy and strengthens bonds among farmers. The Microleasing Fund is proud to support women farmers like Vicky by facilitating access to productive assets. Vicky’s success story is a shining example of how empowering women in agriculture can lead to sustainable development, improved livelihoods, and thriving communities. Join us in celebrating Vicky Cherono and countless other women who are making remarkable strides in agriculture. Her story is a powerful reminder of the vital role women play in agriculture and the immense benefits of investing in their potential. Together, we can continue to empower women and drive meaningful change.   #MothersMonth #WomenInAgriculture #Empowerment #SustainableDevelopment #adOpesLimited #SuccessStory #CommunityImpact

Tokenism in Agriculture Underrepresented groups- women, youth and marginalized communities are included in agricultural policies, programs or initiatives, without genuinely addressing the structural barriers they face. How does it Manifest? The voices of the groups not being heard or considered in decision making processes. It ends up being more appearance than impact. Failing to create mechanisms which address the unique challenges these groups face is also another way tokenism is manifested. Allocation of inadequate resources and funding to these groups to achieve the end goal or a meaningful change. Focusing on the visibility of the marginalized groups rather than the effectiveness of the initiatives. Qabi Fresh Exports Ltd Albero Scapes Limited #africafoodsystemsforum #agriculture #Tokenism

The pivotal role of women in development is indisputable. A closer examination reveals that by recognizing and leveraging the unique #potential of women, we can significantly accelerate development in our homes, communities, and globally. Each woman embodies a formidable force, brimming with vitality that can be harnessed for the #collective good. There is abundant space for every woman to contribute, drawing upon their distinct #talents and #capabilities. In our journey towards progress, let us foster a culture of #collaboration, and mutual support, even within a competitive landscape. As we mark this #internationalwomensday, let us reaffirm our unwavering commitment to empowering women, not only for individual advancement but also for the collective acceleration of progress and prosperity. Together, let us persist in our pursuit of a future where every woman is afforded the opportunity to flourish, excel, and be accorded equal opportunity.

The Cocoa Week is almost at its end and we had such an interesting and successful week! ✅ Our founder Jeroen de Lange was one of the key speakers at the Chocoa conference, among other very inspiring speakers and panelists. The key argument that was discussed was to move towards a cocoa industry in which farmers are paid per month and where corporate budgets for premiums are spent on unconditional cash transfers to women in cocoa households. ✅ We had a very positive and inspiring workshop at Unilever Magnum, together with CARE International UK, Cargill, and Barry Callebaut Group to talk about the future of Magnum's impact program within their value chains. This has been such a rewarding and inspiring partnership that will continue to grow to do only one thing: making impact by empowering women. This is also the moment to celebrate the amazing other partnerships that 100WEEKS has within the cocoa sector: ❕ Together with Tony's Chocolonely, we already supported 1000+ women, of which 80% got out of poverty! ❕ The UBS Optimus Foundation has helped us significantly to improve the lives of another 1000+ women and their communities! ❕ In cooperation with Unilever, IDH , KIT Royal Tropical Institute, and Cargill we have done successful research into living income in the cocoa sector, showing that a 100WEEKS program closes the gap to a living income with 20%. And all of this not only to tell a good story, but to prove the story as well, with hard data en sparkling visuals, with AWA by Magnum as a beautiful example: https://lnkd.in/ekUEn4zA. Tiffany Talsma Rik Habraken Sarah-Franklin Schaar Michel Arrion Anna Laven Cintia Vega Luis Hernandez Rosie Festus Tugce Aksoy Siriki DIAKITE Kate Olender Angelika Kessler Juan Echanove Echanove Katherine van Wyk Maryse Hazelzet Rupert Day Belinda Christine Borck Marieke Doelman Joke Aerts Julie McBride Jordy van Honk Daan Wensing Frank Joosten #chocoa2024 #chocoa #cocoa #cash #directcash #cashgiving #magnum

Today is the International Women’s Day 🙌🏼   Women account almost half of smallholder farmers in developing countries. But they face several barriers in their work… One of them is the lack of #land ownership. 🌱   In Colombia, the #Fairtrade certified farmer cooperative COOCENTRAL has tried to tackle this problem among its members. So, for the past 10 years, it has incentivized men to share land ownership with their wife. How? By paying higher #prices for coffee produced by women. ☕️   First, Coocentral offers women specific trainings in coffee #farm management. Then, the cooperative buys their high-quality #coffee and commercialize it to clients willing to pay a #premium. 🤝🏼 We met with Leonor and her husband, who have benefited from this initiative. They share ownership of their land, and Leonor appears as a member of Coocentral. Their son has now started to take over the management of the farm. 🇨🇴   At FairCapital, we applaud these initiatives taken by our partners! We always strive to support the #inclusion and #empowerment of all women farmers.   #genderequality #womeninagriculture #agriculture #sdg5 #impactinvestesting

Looking back at a very inspiring Chocoa last week. Well done Anna Laven organising presentations and debates! Each chocolate bar starts of course with a small holder working hard to produce the cocoa beans. Good to notice that the goal of a living income is widespread now. A lot of interest in cash transfers to complement payment to farmers for the big harvest. Progress is slow however in guaranteeing a living income and speeding up real development: money is only a means to an end: what matters is whether children go to school, what matters is that no child is stunted, that each family is food secure and lives in a decent house and has access to clean water. To achieve this I proposed some radical ideas: (1) pay each month instead of one big payment for the harvest in December to guarantee a regular cash flow to make sure there is always food on the table and school fees can be paid in September, (2) restructure the debt of farmers so families can escape the vicious debt trap (often around 50% of what farmers earn in december goes to paying back debt with high interest rates, debt they incur after their money is finished in April), (3) pay the premiums to women as cash transfers because women spend money differently, their expenses lead more to direct development and kick starting alternative income generation. While Village saving and loan associations are very important, the poorest cocoa farmers will never save themselves out of poverty and will never ever be able to earn a living income from their three hectares cocoa plantation: hence the need for cash transfers to women to kick start alternative income generating activities: this is what 100WEEKS does with support from Unilever Cargill and Tony's Chocolonely

Today I spoke at a webinar with Rural Women Assembly (https://lnkd.in/dyZVFePf) members in honor of Africa Day. The event, titled “Freedom in Every Seed: Rural Women, Food Security, and Seed Sovereignty in Africa,”. This webinar aimed to focus on the critical issue of food and address critical issues surrounding seed and food sovereignty, particularly focusing on the vital role of rural women in safeguarding seed diversity and ensuring food security. We discussed the challenges posed by corporate control over seeds and food systems and recognized the strength and resilience of rural women in rural communities in the face of these ongoing challenges. During my talk, I highlighted the corporate control over our food system by corporations, which represents a form of modern neo-colonialism. These multinational corporations gain power over food and society by controlling seeds. They patent seed technologies and disable the capacity of the seed to be replanted, fostering dependency and extracting large profits through agreements and restrictive seed laws. I also pointed out that these exotic seeds are more susceptible to environmental stresses and are often grown as monocultures, which negatively impacts biodiversity and increases the use of chemicals ( industrial agriculture). I emphasized the need for food sovereignty, which is the right of people, communities, and nations to define their food systems, ensuring local control over production, consumption, and resource access through community-driven approaches. In a food sovereignty model, farmers make decisions about what to plant, when and how to plant it, and what to eat or sell. Food produced this way is ecologically sound, culturally appropriate, and socially just. This concept differs from food security, which focuses only on the availability, access, utilization, and stability of food. Food sovereignty allows farmers and consumers to decide on their nutrition, the food needed to provide this nutrition, and the seeds to grow that food using ecological principles. Such seeds are more adaptable to climate conditions, pest and disease-resistant, reliable, affordable, and diverse. This approach reduces farm production costs due to decreased reliance on irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides. To build sovereign and resilient food systems, we need to: Promote agroecological practices on the ground Support farmer-managed seed systems where farmers can freely produce, save, exchange, and sell seeds for ecological health and nutrition. Encourage agroecological entrepreneurship and territorial markets by empowering local entrepreneurs and strengthening market systems. Empower women and youth in agroecology through training and financing. Advocate for better policies to decriminalize the seed system. Bring farmers into continental and global decision-making spaces. Expose decision-makers to successful agroecological enterprises through fairs, exhibitions, and demonstration gardens.