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Coffee Alliance For Excellence (CAFE) and Mujeres CAFE

Peru Agriculture Coffee Women's Economic Empowerment

CAFE is a public-private partnership working to create a more prosperous and inclusive coffee sector. The program is helping 12,000 coffee farming families, many of them in former coca-growing regions, to earn more sustainable livelihoods by improving productivity and quality and building links to profitable markets.

Coffee Alliance For Excellence (CAFE) Project Overview
The Coffee Alliance for Excellence (CAFE) is a public-private partnership launched by TechnoServe in 2017, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and JDE Peet’s. The program aimed to transform the lives of nealy 14,000 people and 9,000 farming families in former coca-growing regions of Peru, helping them build sustainable incomes through coffee production while fostering peace and stability. In 2023, the Starbucks Foundation and JDE Peet’s joined forces to expand the program’s efforts in social and women’s empowerment and to eliminate child labor by sensitizing families to protect minors from hazardous activities, promoting education, and supporting a responsible supply chain.

Context
Peru, the world’s second-largest coca producer after Colombia, has long faced challenges in creating sustainable economic opportunities in coca-growing regions. Poverty and limited alternatives drive smallholder farmers to grow coca, often as a last resort to support their families. However, coffee production is a promising path to economic and social prosperity, particularly in regions like Huánuco, Ucayali, and San Martín, where its altitude and mountainous environment have the perfect conditions for growing high-quality crops. 

Opportunity
By building a prosperous and resilient coffee value chain, the CAFE program seized the opportunity to help farmers shape a viable economic and social alternative to coca production. CAFE has helped farmers develop the skills, access the resources, and gain the support needed to increase productivity, connect to specialty markets, and strengthen resilience against economic instability. Through a robust coffee sector, CAFE is empowering families in Peru to transition away from coca cultivation toward peaceful, sustainable futures

Strategy
Through CAFE, farmers received training on best practices for planting, rejuvenating, harvesting, and conducting post-harvest activities for their coffee. The program has also strengthened producer organizations and other partners to advance its mission of helping farmers access better markets and secure higher prices for their products. By improving coffee livelihoods, CAFE enables farmers to maintain—and even expand—their coffee holdings rather than returning to coca production. CAFE’s approach centers on increasing yields and improving coffee quality through training, access to essential inputs, and financial resources. Farmers receive:

  • Productivity Training: Guidance on high-yield farming techniques to boost coffee output per hectare.
  • Regenerative Agriculture: Training in regenerative and low-emission farming to enhance farm resilience.
  • Market Connections: Assistance in accessing specialty markets for better pricing and profitability.
  • Financial Access: Support in improving access to credit and savings services trough the creation of 

The program also established the Coffee Farm College (CFC), providing intensive training in Good Agronomic Practices, Climate Smart Agriculture, and gender equity. Working closely with public and private partners, including DEVIDA, Promperú, and Rainforest Alliance, CAFE fosters local capacity and promotes Peruvian coffee on national and global markets.

As part of its child labor elimination efforts, CAFE implemented family advisory visits, reaching 2,490 individuals across 2,000 coffee-farming families. These visits educated families about the risks of hazardous activities for minors and emphasized the importance of continuous education. Additionally, 92 organizational leaders participated in prevention workshops, leading to the adoption of internal policies addressing child labor. Through an active monitoring system, CAFE successfully reported zero cases of at-risk minors in participating families during the last year.

Results
Over seven years of implementation CAFE has achieved significant results:

  • Benefited over 14,000 people directly.
  • Increased farmers’ incomes by 206% and coffee yields by 81%.
  • Facilitated $140 million in coffee sales and mobilized $44.8 million in financing.
  • Improved farmer access to formal markets who collectively reached US $150 Million in coffee sales
  • Transitioned 95% of participating farms to regenerative practices, with 5,787 achieving sustainable certifications and more than 12,000 hectares under agroforestry systems.
  • Reduced 1,248 CO2 equiv. MT reduction of carbon from 2022 to 2024
  • Reduced child labor risks significantly, achieving a 22% reduction in families reporting minors engaged in hazardous tasks.

Impact on Women and Youth
CAFE prioritized women’s economic empowerment and youth involvement in the coffee value chain:

  • Women’s incomes increased by 292%, narrowing the income gap with men by 21%.
  • Nearly 1,200 young people trained in coffee-related skills, enhancing their employment opportunities.

Partners
USAID Peru and JDE Peet’s

Mujeres CAFE Project Overview
Mujeres CAFE is an initiative leveraging the platform built by the CAFE program, supported by the Starbucks Foundation, designed to empower women in Peru’s coffee sector through leadership development, economic empowerment, and skills training. By addressing gender inequities, Mujeres CAFE helped women gain greater control over their livelihoods and become leaders within their communities.

Context
Despite women’s significant contributions to Peru’s coffee sector, their participation is often hindered by barriers that limit their access to resources, decision-making power, and leadership opportunities within the value chain. Even though men own nearly 70% of the land, leaving women with only 30% ownership, there are still plenty of opportunities to make progress, even when women’s access to land is restricted.

Women frequently contribute a significant share of on-farm labor without having equal decision-making power, driven by cultural norms that present men as heads of household and minimize the role of women as farmers. Women’s responsibilities for household work diminish the time available for productive activities and training.

Opportunity

Mujeres CAFE program seized a powerful opportunity to bridge gender gaps within Peru’s coffee sector, enabling women to fully participate and thrive. By supporting  women in building the skills and confidence to assume leadership and make strategic decisions, Mujeres CAFE is driving positive change in coffee-growing communities. This initiative both empowered women economically but also strengthened the overall resilience of the coffee value chain, fostering long-term growth and inclusivity.

Strategy
TechnoServe’s Coffee Alliance for Excellence (CAFE) and Mujeres CAFE programs worked together to address systemic barriers and the specific challenges women face in Peru’s coffee sector. By focusing on leadership and communication training, these programs encouraged women to take on more prominent roles in household and community decision-making.The programs’ interventions focused on:

  • Building Leadership and Agency: Enabling women to develop the confidence and decision-making skills needed to lead and influence change within their families and communities.
  • Transforming Norms and Attitudes: Shifting social and cultural attitudes to support women’s economic participation and leadership.

In partnership with six producer organizations, the program delivered locally adapted training through modules like Reconnecting with My Power, Communicating My Power, Identifying Resources, and Actionable Leadership.

The program concluded with a Photovoice activity, a participatory photography methodology allowing women to document and reflect on their personal journeys. This approach amplified their voices and visibility, strengthening self-expression, confidence, and problem-solving abilities. Approximately 60 women directly engaged in this process, using photography to explore their challenges and successes and initiating discussions based on themes visible in their photos, such as:

  • Women’s connection to nature as both inspiration and a resource to protect for their families’ futures.
  • Pride in their roles as farmers and contributors to the coffee production process.
  • Self-perception as courageous, independent, and enterprising leaders.

This blend of photography and storytelling allowed women of different literacy levels to participate fully, building their communication and public speaking skills.

Results
Mujeres CAFE has empowered women across multiple dimensions:

  • 1,300 women participated in the program.
  • 48% of women reported increased self-efficacy.
  • 88% gained greater decision-making power in households and farms.
  • Women now hold 59% of leadership positions in coffee-producing organizations.
  • 97% of participants have greater control over their income.

Partners
The Starbucks Foundation

 

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