Carefully picked and slowly dried, Mulheres do Caparaó comes from a Women’s Group in the region of Caparaó, Brazil. The farms are in a valley on the edge of the Caparaó National Park on the border of the states of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo.
How did the group come to be? Lala, a widow, mother of 4 daughters and owner of her farm, Sitio Lala, started the group to support other women and share knowledge. They’ve been working with Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAFCOFFEES) since 2015.
Today, the group has grown to have 23 women farmers who carefully process coffee under the supervision Lala’s 25 year old daughter Luana. FAFCOFFEES have travelled to the region with their mobile cupping van, and cupped the coffees with the group, providing feedback. Hundreds of lots were cupped to produce this particular lot, Mulheres do Caparaó.
The price of coffee depends on its quality, breaking with commodity systems of coffee economics. Price premiums paid to the women’s group have been used to fund workshops, patio infrastructure, water treatment filtration systems and this year also reforestation.
Traditionally women are not visible in the coffee supply chain, despite the vast amount of the work they’re involved with in coffee growing. Through the promotion of this women’s coffee, FAF is empowering these women so they can fully develop their entrepreneurial spirit.
June 16, 2021
