Despite contributing up to 70% of the labour required to plant, grow and harvest coffee, women farmers in Kenya rarely own their land or the coffee bushes that they tend – they usually belong to the men in the family, and as a result these women are unable to join farming co-operatives or earn an income for their labour.
Yet research shows that when women are in control of more of the household income, there are improved outcomes for the community across a range of areas including health, education and investments.
In recognition of this, Fairtrade Africa and the UK-based Fairtrade Foundation are collaborating on a new, three-year project, which will empower hundreds of women coffee farmers in Kenya and enable them to develop a branded “women’s coffee” for sale to local markets.
Launched this month with a grant from the Big Lottery Fund, plus additional funding from the Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission, the Growing Women in Coffee project will encourage the transfer of coffee bush ownership to 150 women coffee farmers in the Kapkiyai Co-operative, enabling them to earn an independent income for the first time.
A further 300 women within the Kabngetuny Co-operative, who have already benefitted from an asset transfer programme, will receive training on good agricultural practices with the aim of improving the way that they farm, increasing the yield and quality of their coffee. These women and their families will also benefit from the construction of “green energy” biogas units for their homes, which will reduce exposure to smoke and reduce the time they spend collecting firewood – with positive impacts for their health, the environment and their productivity.
But the benefits of the project will reach much further than the 450 women from these two co-operatives and their families. Kipkelion Union, which brings together 32 co-operatives including Kapkiyai and Kabngetuny, will be supported by Fairtrade Africa to develop and market a branded, Fairtrade-certified “women’s coffee” for sale within Kenya and potentially other markets, helping to grow the east African market for Fairtrade produce. Kipkelion Union will also be able to share the learnings from this pilot with the other 30 co-operatives that it represents, enabling its benefits to reach many thousands of additional farmers and their communities.
When farmers sell their coffee on Fairtrade terms they earn a minimum price for their beans, or the market price if higher, which acts as a vital safety net when prices fall and gives them the stability to plan for the future. They also earn a Fairtrade Premium, which can be invested as the farmers choose, in order to benefit their business and community.
At least 25% must be used to enhance their productivity or quality of their coffee, with the remainder invested in social projects such as the provision of healthcare, educational grants, or access to clean water for their community.
Commenting on the launch of the project, Fairtrade Foundation’s fundraising manager David Finlay said: “We are looking forward to working with Fairtrade Africa on this project, which will directly empower hundreds of women farmers and has the potential to benefit thousands more.
“By working with the women in these co-operatives to roast, grind, package and sell their beans as “women’s coffee”, we hope they will be able to increase the amount they sell on Fairtrade terms, which will bring benefits for their whole community”.
Fairtrade will deliver the Growing Women in Coffee project with support from local partners Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa Expertise Center (SECAEC), and the Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (KENFAP).
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