A humble note for International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day falls on March 8. We’re not here to center ourselves, but to honour the hospitality, resilience, and excellence of the women we learn from especially in Costa Rica.
Ceci, Marianella & a standard of care
Our relationship with producers like Ceci Genis and Marianella Báez Jost has shaped how we think about quality and fairness. Ceci’s Zalmari Estate is cited as the first Women Care Certified coffee farm in the world a program focused on improving women’s livelihoods across the coffee value chain. Marianella co-leads The Farmers Project, a collective committed to transparent, direct trade.
What we see on their farms isn’t just agronomy it’s care: for people, for soil, for process. That care shows up in the cup as sweetness, clarity, and consistency.
What these producers taught us (and keep teaching)
1) Quality is relational. Cup scores matter, but trust, fair timelines, and honest feedback matter more. Good coffee travels on good relationships.
2) Transparency beats slogans. Clear costs, living-income targets, and simple quality incentives outperform vague “fair” claims.
3) Equity is built, not assumed. Programs like Women Care Certified and peer networks (e.g., IWCA) help women access training, credit, and market power. Our part is to buy responsibly, pay on time, and communicate openly.
Light impact note: Our BeyondFair approach includes paying above cost of production and supporting micro-loans that help producers upgrade quality or bridge harvest cycles (kept practical and paperwork-light).
Care & craft you can taste
When harvest decisions, fermentation, and drying are done with patience and workers are respected the result is cups that feel clean, sweet, and complete. You can taste the story without needing it explained.
International Women’s Day (Mar 8) reminds us to listen and learn from the women who shape our lives and our coffee.