*This article has been partially edited for IDEAS FOR GOOD from the article published in “BETTER FOOD VOL.4 Searching for the Future of Coffee.”
What do we see in the steam rising from our mugs in the morning?
The aroma of roasted beans, the pleasant sourness, or the peace of mind when you wake up. However, we may not often think about how many “human hands” are involved on the other side of that liquid, and what kind of story is being woven.
Somerset in south-west England. Here you’ll find Girls Who Grind Coffee, a roastery lined with brightly colored packaging. Founded in 2017, the brand is known for one thing. That is, “All coffee beans we handle are limited to those produced by female producers.”
The founder, Casey LaLonde, is from New York. Her reason for establishing this rule is more than just a marketing strategy. It was a challenge to make visible an existence that had been “invisible” within the huge system of the coffee industry.
Speaker profile: Casey LaLonde
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Founder, Head of Coffee, and Certified Q Grader of Girls Who Grind Coffee. Raised in upstate New York, he aspired to work in the coffee industry as a teenager. He began his career in his 20s at a roastery and lab in Vermont, where he learned tasting and roasting techniques at a cupping lab. He also served as an assistant for the Q grader course. After gaining practical experience at a lab, she launched Girls Who Grind Coffee. Currently, as Head of Coffee and Head Roaster at GWGC, she is solely responsible for sourcing beans from outstanding female producers around the world and roasting them to bring out their full potential.
The “invisible” protagonists responsible for 70% of coffee production
“Women’s work is so invisible in coffee production,” Casey says. According to 2017 statistics, women perform approximately 70% of the labor in coffee production. Harvesting, sorting, drying. Much of the painstaking work involved in making high-quality coffee is done by these women.
However, it is difficult to say that their labor is fairly appreciated. Even when women work on farms, it is often seen as “duty to the family” or “helping out,” and they are often not paid. In many cases, men own the land and have financial control over the plantation. Both exporters and farm managers are men. Although women are the main labor force, they are excluded from business decision-making.
There are those who work hard to grow beans and those who earn wealth by selling the beans. The gender gap that lies between them. Girls Who Grind Coffee’s focus on “buying from women” is to highlight this structural distortion and support the women who actually run farms and make decisions.
Imagei via Girls Who Grind Coffee
Choose because you are a professional, not because you are a woman.
What must not be misunderstood here is that Girls Who Grind Coffee’s efforts are not just “charity.” They don’t like it when people talk about it only in the context of support, such as “buying it because they’re women.” The company is a “specialty coffee roastery” and offers the highest quality coffee experience.
The background to this feeling lies in the “difficulty of being recognized as a professional” that Casey himself has felt within the industry.
“When I was looking for a property for a roastery, a real estate agent asked me in a bossy manner, “Do you have a business plan?” Of course, I had a plan,” Casey says with a wry smile.
The world of roasting is often seen as a “man’s workplace,” carrying heavy bags of green beans and operating giant roasting machines. While men are seen as “knowledgeable” when they open a roastery, women always have to prove themselves. Under such circumstances, the struggle against “imposter syndrome” (the psychology of underestimating oneself) has driven these women to sharpen their skills.
That’s why Girls Who Grind Coffee never compromises on quality. “Many roasters select beans by cupping (tasting) them without knowing who made them. When they do that, they easily dismiss beans that don’t even slightly meet their standards, saying, ‘This is no good.’ But we place importance on getting to know the producers and building relationships with them.”
Because I can see their faces, I don’t just cut them off. Casey says that a roaster’s skill lies in finding a roasting recipe that brings out the maximum potential of each bean and creating a “suitable home” for each bean.
However, continuing to procure high-quality beans only from female producers is a more difficult journey than expected. The best example is “decaf” (decaffeinated coffee).
“It’s really hard to find decaf produced by women,” says Casey.
In order to carry out decaf processing, a minimum number of lots (volume) must be determined to be processed at one time at the factory. However, many of the quality-conscious female producers that they partner with are small-scale, and it is structurally difficult to secure quantities that meet these standards with beans from female producers alone.
What broke this barrier was an idea from our partner, Bean Voyage, an organization that supports women producers. “Let’s gather a group of women and create a decaf lot.” Their proposal led to procurement from Mexico.
Imagei via Girls Who Grind Coffee
The reason why their most popular blend, “Girl Crush,” is so popular is because of the deliciousness of the coffee, which is the result of overcoming these difficulties. Girls Who Grind Coffee is particular about creating a well-balanced flavor that many people find easy to drink. Our commitment to professional quality supports our brand’s trust.
Climate change and the labor of women producers
In-depth dialogue with producers not only improves quality, but also highlights the serious challenges faced by production areas. That is climate change. Climate change affects everyone, but it does not affect everyone equally.
“Tackling climate change requires long-term planning and investment. For example, replanting with new varieties that can withstand rising temperatures requires funds to last several years until the seedlings grow. However, many women who do not have land ownership do not have access to bank credit or loans.”
Because they don’t own land, they can’t get funding. We can’t adapt to climate change because we don’t have the funds. This negative chain forces women producers into a more vulnerable position. Girls Who Grind Coffee doesn’t just buy beans, but also works with Bean Voyage to help provide skills such as market knowledge and cultivation techniques, as well as the small-scale capital needed to start a business.
Furthermore, as a measure to adapt to climate change, Robusta, which has traditionally been considered to be of lower quality than Arabica, is also attracting attention.
“As the amount of land suitable for growing Arabica is decreasing, Robusta, which is resistant to pests and heat, is important. Cultivating varieties that are resistant to change will also lead to economic stability for female producers. Ms. Nafisa from Uganda’s “Specialty Robusta” is surprisingly delicious.”
Actively purchase new varieties that are adapted to the environment without being bound by existing values. This is also the wisdom of a professional roaster and a fair form of support for producers.
“Fairness” before “equality”
At the root of Casey’s activities is the idea of “equity” rather than “equality.”
“To get on the same starting line as men, we need to remove barriers that are unique to women: limited mobility due to childcare and household responsibilities, lack of land ownership, and a lack of voice within the industry. Only when there is equity to bridge these barriers will true equality be achieved.”
This practice of “fairness” goes beyond simply supporting skills. It also means shouldering economic risks and acting as a bulwark to prevent female producers from dropping out of the market.
A symbolic example is the transaction with Honduran producer Gloria. Due to rising production costs, the price of her beans has jumped three to four times. Under normal market principles, this is a situation in which consumers would switch to cheaper beans. However, for female producers who lack financial strength and creditworthiness, terminating transactions becomes a matter of life and death.
That’s why I didn’t stop buying Girls Who Grind Coffee. “When prices go up, we raise our selling prices. We have a responsibility to communicate to consumers that coffee is a seasonal agricultural product and market prices fluctuate,” Casey asserts. It is sustained partnerships, not cheap prices, that stabilize farmers’ livelihoods and empower them to fight climate change and social headwinds.
Despite facing these serious issues, Girls Who Grind Coffee’s products have a surprisingly bright and open image. The package features an illustration of happy women high-fiving each other. There is a desire to loosen up the “professional and intimidating atmosphere” that exists in the coffee industry, especially in the world of roasting, and make it something that everyone can enjoy.
“We don’t want to exclude men. In fact, we want men to be part of this conversation. Gender equality is not just a women’s issue; it’s a collective challenge.”
A cup of coffee is a mirror that reflects the world. The stories include the lives of women working in faraway lands, the global challenge of climate change, and the will of people trying to change these issues. When we drink Girls Who Grind Coffee, we’re not just consuming caffeine, we’re participating in a long story that re-weaves invisible threads and forges a more just future.
Imagei via Girls Who Grind Coffee
Editor’s note
During the interview, Casey said, “There is no equality without fairness,” which is the core of all social issues, not just coffee. The fact that the effects of climate change fall heavily on women who do not have land ownership rights highlights the inseparability of environmental and gender issues.
But Girls Who Grind Coffee’s approach is anything but pessimistic. Their coffee empowers the drinker with its delicious taste backed by reliable roasting techniques and its brightness just like the illustrations on the package. The simple emotion of “delicious” is actually the most powerful energy for changing the social structure.
[Reference site]Girls Who Grind Coffee
The fourth issue of Better Food, an irregular magazine that introduces precedents for sustainability in the food field, features coffee, which is essential to our daily lives. However, it has been pointed out that the amount of land suitable for coffee cultivation may significantly decrease by 2050 due to the effects of climate change, also known as the 2050 problem. If climate change continues at this rate, we may not be able to enjoy coffee as much as we do now in the next few decades. We interviewed people who are tackling the issues facing the coffee industry and creating a better future for coffee.
