Spanish Cooperation Agency Launches Project to Empower Women in Ethiopia’s Coffee Industry Against Climate Change

Ethiopia has a long history of coffee production and is currently the 10th largest coffee exporter in the world. Coffee serves as a major source of revenue, accounting for up to 19% of Ethiopian exports. However, small coffee farmers are increasingly shifting from traditional forest-coffee production systems to more immediately profitable zero-shade systems, which can negatively impact coffee quality and degrade the natural assets of coffee landscapes. Notably, an estimated 25 million people work in the coffee sector in Ethiopia, with approximately 70% of them being women. However, women’s presence in decision-making processes and access to revenues in the coffee industry is weak, rendering them largely invisible. This project aims to address this disparity and empower women as key agents for socio-ecological resilience in landscape governance through coffee management practices. Colombia and Honduras, both important coffee producers globally, have been working on various aspects of the coffee value chain for years and have valuable lessons and recommendations to share, particularly in terms of social aspects such as gender, commercialization and marketing, and climate change and landscape management. The Spanish Cooperation has been instrumental in supporting these efforts by facilitating the generation and management of knowledge in the coffee sector.

The project’s strategy includes implementing participatory action research methodology to promote systemic transformation in the coffee sector, specifically in the Yayu Forest Biodiversity Reserve (YCFBR), with a focus on recognizing women’s role in socio-ecological resilience and landscape governance through coffee management practices. A community of practice will also be established to facilitate knowledge co-creation, exchange of experiences, and access to learning resources among Ethiopia, Colombia, and Honduras. Additionally, capacity building on gender equality, climate adaptation, and mitigation in support of sustainable coffee landscapes in YCFBR will be promoted, and socio-environmental standards on coffee practices and landscape management/governance will be disseminated.

The project is expected to have a significant impact on enhancing gender equality, sustainability, and resilience in Ethiopia’s coffee value chain, promoting eco-efficiency, social innovation, and south-south cooperation. It is a collaborative effort that brings together diverse stakeholders to empower women and promote sustainable coffee production in Ethiopia, benefiting the livelihoods of small coffee farmers, protecting natural resources, and mitigating the impact of climate change on the coffee sector.