Peru Cafe Femenino

The women of CECANOR are proud to be the originators of the Café Femenino concept. While women have always been crucial to coffee production in Peru, men traditionally held the economic power. In 2004, 464 female coffee producers in Peru united to change this dynamic and take a step toward empowerment by creating the first Café Femenino co-op. Now, they feel proud to instill in their daughters the expectation that they will grow up to become leaders in their community—just like their mothers and grandmothers.. They grew and harvested their own line of organic coffee which came to be called Cafe Feminino. Today, in these communities of Northern Peru, there are positive cultural changes which are working to alleviate poverty and continue to create social change. The women who grow Cafe Feminino coffee are receiving direct income for the first time in their lives. Additionally, the project provides training focused on positive self-esteem, curbing abuse and aid to find additional means of support.