Mujeres: Coffee That Inspires Inclusion

In the coffee industry, roughly 20-30% of all coffee farms are owned and operated by women, and up to 70% of labor is completed by a woman. However, women in the industry systemically have less access to land, resources, and education than men. As a woman-owned business that prioritizes the wellbeing of the women on our staff both here in Holly Springs, GA and in Honduras, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a big deal for us. The inspiration for our IWD roast, Mujeres, struck in 2021 while celebrating International Women’s Day here in the café. We wanted to bring the women both here at Alma Coffee in Holly Springs and in Honduras to the forefront and have a moment to applaud them for all the hard work that they do.  

In accordance with the campaign theme for each year, we release a roast that we feel speaks to the message. The roast varies from year to year to represent the complexity and ever-changing nature of being a woman. With this year’s theme being “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion,” we are brewing up a medium roast with tasting notes of milk chocolate, spiced cloves, and orange zest. This roast is a unique blend of honey, wet wash, and natural process. If you want to learn more about the different processes we use, check out our blog “What is Coffee Processing?”  We felt that this roast really highlights the message of inclusion and diversity as it contains beans from every process and has notes on all ends of the spectrum, from nutty to fruity.  

Every year, we highlight International Women’s Day with our Mujeres roast to bring attention to how much the coffee industry depends on women. As previously mentioned, up to 70% of labor in the coffee production process is from women. We are passionate in the pursuit to end the gender gap within the coffee industry. Our business alone is comprised of many women that keep us running both on the farm and in the roastery. The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) ranks Honduras at .75, which is bordering between a medium and low ranking. This essentially means that within the coffee industry in Honduras, women are not treated as fairly in the field as compared to other countries. For this reason, it is of utmost importance that we use our business to shed light on this.   

While women on our family farms in Honduras are treated with the most profound respect and fairness, that is not the case on many other farms within the country. That is why we have worked so hard to ensure that not only the women on the farm are given equal opportunities, but also that girls are given the same education options as everyone else. In partnership with The Matiak Foundation, we were able to build a school on our family farm, Finca Terrerito. This cause has been near and dear to our heart from the get-go, and we are so thankful to The Matiak Foundation for making this dream a reality. If you want to learn more about the school and the impact that it is having on the community, check out our blog. This school will provide the future generation of women the opportunity to pursue whatever career path they wish.  

Inclusivity, diversity, and equality are common themes in all that we do. We are passionate in the fight to break the gender bias in coffee farming and in giving women the recognition and applause that they deserve within the industry. We would not be where we are without the women behind our business! Here are just a few of the women who make Alma Coffee extraordinary:  

 

Leticia 

As a fifth-generation coffee farmer, Leticia is an expert when it comes to coffee. In 2018, she made the brave decision to leave her accounting career at KPMG in Chicago and begin a coffee business right here in Holly Springs, GA. This idea sprouted from a passion and generational understanding of the coffee business. Leticia wanted to create a business in partnership with her family’s farms in Honduras to vertically integrate the family coffee farming legacy. If you have ever been by the café, you’ve probably seen Leticia walking around taking calls and being an absolute boss. She has created an environment within Alma Coffee where people are encouraged and supported in being their most authentic selves and has aptly carried on her family’s legacy. 

 

Lourdes 

As Finca T’s Head of Quality Control and Exports, Lourdes is the definition of a coffee expert. Recently, she received her certification as a Q Grader, which for those of you not in the coffee field, is a monumental achievement. Essentially, a Q Grader is a coffee sommelier, skilled in sensory evaluation of green coffee. Just to give a little hindsight into how lucrative this is, there are only roughly 4000 Q Graders worldwide. We are so incredible lucky to have Lourdes on our team, consistently proving that women are equals in an industry that does not always treat them as such.  

 

 

Ashley 

The one and the only, head of marketing, Ashley Elayne! There is nobody doing it quite like she is. Ashley joined the team in 2022 and since then has been tirelessly working to not only grow the business but also to share our beautiful story of how we are breaking boundaries within the coffee industry. She is responsible for everything from our social media presence to the graphics you see posted around the café and on our coffee bags. She even designed the Mujeres label this year (and last year). This year she took a different spin on the labels. With the theme for International Women’s Day being #inspireinclusion, she wanted to create something that represented the many different complex and beautiful attributes of being a woman. There are seven colors, so your bag may look different than your neighbor’s! She hopes the label serves as a reminder to embrace the beauty of how unique every woman is.  

 

Daryl

If you haven’t been able to tell yet, family is of utmost importance to us at Alma Coffee. Daryl is a testament to this. Daryl is Harry Hutchins’s sister, and she first joined the Alma team as a member of fulfillment. Over time she fell in love with the coffee business just as her brother did. Daryl now serves as our business development department. If you have ever reached out about ordering a large amount of coffee for your business or are looking to partner with us, you’ve probably talked to Daryl. Daryl is the personification of the strength and perseverance that every woman has inside them. If you ever get the opportunity to talk to her, do it. Guaranteed you will leave encouraged and uplifted in whatever goals you may be pursuing.  

 

We are so honored to recognize a small amount of the women who make Alma Coffee the extraordinary place that it is. We feel that our Mujeres roast beautifully encapsulates the uniqueness of womanhood in coffee form. Beginning on International Women’s Day until the end of the month, we will also be serving Mujeres on espresso in the café so make sure to stop by and grab a latte with your bag of Mujeres.  

From all the women here at Alma Coffee, thank you! Thank you for giving us a space and platform to promote inclusivity and break boundaries within the coffee industry! As great American Poet and Playwright, Ntozke Shange once said, “Where there is a woman, there is magic.”