Women Caficultora Network
Red de Mujeres Caficultoras
Located in the Antigua Coffee Growing Region
This group began as an initiative by De La Gente in 2023 in efforts to create more gender inclusivity in the coffee industry in Guatemala, as women are affected by having less opportunities. The coffee industry is dominated by men, which makes the role of women in the value chain invisible in most cases. This is a major obstacle to increasing women's participation in coffee production. On the other hand, the consumer is now more interested in seeing more participation of women in the industry. Unfortunately, this has led to a harmful dynamic of using the image of women as a marketing strategy without authentically giving voice and power to the women behind that image.
By creating the Caficultora (feminine form of the Spanish word "caficultor" which means coffee grower) Network, De La Gente seeks to enhance the role of women, going beyond producing coffee by ensuring that they have a voice in the negotiations of their products and that they have the capacity to undertake a career related to coffee. We provide technical, social, and environmental support, as well as access to more and better economic opportunities in the coffee sector.
Currently, this new group of women is made up of six participants from the coffee-growing region of Antigua. Each woman has different capabilities and knowledge about coffee cultivation and production, in which they uplift each other in many ways. In 2024, with great enthusiasm, it will be their first year exporting coffee as a group with a total of 3,000 pounds. Since working with these women, all six participants received coffee processing training, which was incredibly successful. Some of the women also received funding for the purchase of depulping machinery, allowing them to further their involvement in the processing stage. Roasted coffee from the Women Caficultora Network has been a bestseller in our online shop since 2025, and DLG is currently working on welcoming more women coffee producers to the group in the near future.
