March is Women’s History Month, and it shouldn’t surprise you to know that, as is the case in every aspect of our lives, women have played an important role in the world of coffee.

Let’s roll back the years for a funny early anecdote. Coffee was new to Britain in the 1600s. But by the second half of the century, there were more than 80 coffeehouses in central London. They became popular hangouts for writers, thinkers and political types. In 1674, The Women’s Petition Against Coffee suddenly and mysteriously appeared, documenting women’s opposition to the “newfangled, abominable, heathenish liquor called coffee.”

In actuality it’s difficult to confirm that the pamphlet was written by women. Scholars believe it was most likely a satire written to discourage patronage of coffeehouses: they were seen as places where political unrest was stoked. It wasn’t the first time women were used as a front and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Fast forward to today and we know few, if any, women would describe coffee as “abominable, heathenish liquor.” In fact, women make up about half of all coffee drinkers in the US. Significantly, women’s role in coffee goes far deeper:  many of the Direct Trade coffee producers we work with are women. And women lead many of the Direct Trade projects in coffee-producing locales.

As we commemorate Women’s History Month, we’d like to introduce you to a few of the women who make our coffee world go round:

Carlotta Ruiz, Las Mercedes, Nicaragua
Coffee grower Carlotta Ruiz is part of our Direct Trade program in Las Mercedes, Nicaragua; which is one of our oldest relationships, established in 2010.

Elizabeth Agudelo, El Aguila Valle, Colombia
Coffee grower Elizabeth Agudelo is also a promoter (which means she adopts new practices and then promotes them among her peers) and her farm, El Jazmin, is part of Farmer Brothers’ Project D.I.R.E.C.T. “As a woman, they’ve made me very involved. It’s like a door has been opened wider for us as women…The program brings a lot to my family.”

Joy Tushabe, Rwanda
In Rwanda, our Direct Trade partnership with local growers helps improve their facilities and also provides for additional local opportunities. The growers voted to use money to fund a training center that teaches sewing skills to young women in these villages—individuals who were orphaned by the mid-90s civil war in the country and are the poorest of the poor. Joy Tushabe, who founded the washing station, made it happen: she bought 10 sewing machines, hired two teachers, and it’s made a great impact on their ability to make a living.

During Women’s History Month – and every day – we’re deeply grateful to all the women around the world who make coffee possible.