Did you know: the first paper coffee filter was invented by a woman in 1908?
Amalie Auguste Melitta Bentz, a German mother of three born into a family of entrepreneurs, was tasked with making coffee each morning. Frustrated with brewing methods that left grounds in her coffee, she decided to come up with a new technique. After filing for a patent, she founded her company, "Melitta," and forever transformed the coffee brewing experience.
Women have a long history of innovations in the coffee industry. But they also are a critical work force in the world of growing coffee. Women make up approximately 70% off all the labor in coffee farming. Despite that overwhelming statistic, less that 30% off all coffee farms worldwide are owned by women.
However, we are proud to say that we currently have 4 fully women-owned farms in our single origin lineup as well as 4 co-owned farms, where couples share ownership of the farms. That is close to 60% of our single origin lineup—double the world average! Below are just a few of the women-owned farms we work with—pioneers, carving out new futures for themselves as well as the next generation.
Blance Nieve
Blanca Nieve, a 2024 Good food Award finalist (Our First Woman-Owned Farm Finalist!) is part of the Gold Mountain Coffee Growers in Nicaragua, a direct trade social enterprise connecting farmers of high-cupping specialty coffee to roasters such as ourselves.
Blanca's farm, El Diamante (The Diamond) is located so high in the mountains, it benefits from a longer growing cycle which means the beans have a slower maturity allowing for the development of more complex coffees. In addition, part of the land is a natural forest with a number of fresh, mountain springs used to wash the coffee. Having brought in this coffee for more than 6 years, we are always impressed by the consistency and quality of what this family grows.
Linda Mugaruka
Linda Mugaruka, Coffee Quality Director for Mighty Peace Coffee is on-the-ground working daily with local farmers to enable them to produce more abundant yields as well as flawless coffee cherries. What motivates her and the team at Mighty Peace to work tirelessly is love for the people. What springs forth from that love is exceptional coffee.
Founded in 2018, Mighty Peace Coffee is a women-and-minority-owned social impact coffee company born out of the Congolese peace movement by an international team of business leaders, coffee experts and innovators, community organizers, and human rights defenders. Their mission is to provide coffee connoisseurs, specialty enthusiasts, and ethical businesses with the highest quality coffee, while sharing the stories of Congolese friends and partners to inspire, educate, and end poverty, injustice, and conflict worldwide.
Ederlith Lozano Molina
A 2024 Golden Bean Medalist, while running the family coffee farm with her husband, Ederlith has her own personal lot called Finca Cosita Linda. Located in a remote part of their mountain top farm, the once-overgrown plot needed a lot of work to make it produce award-winning coffee.
In 2017, we visited Colombia, where we had the pleasure of helping judge a local micro-lot competition held at the "Coffee for Peace" festival. In a blind tasting, we discovered Ederleth's coffee, which came in second place out of over 260 entries. After falling in-love with the cup, we went to visit Ederleth’s farm. Climbing up the steep mountainside farm, we were greeted with an expansive view, and Ederleth’s warm hospitality. Since 2017, we have continued to buy coffee from Ederleth, and remain equally impressed each year with her new harvests.
As we celebrate International Women’s Month, we honor the remarkable women who have shaped and continue to shape the world of coffee. From historical pioneers like Amalie Auguste Bentz to modern trailblazers like Blanca Nieve, Linda Mugaruka, and Ederlith Lozano Molina, these women exemplify resilience, innovation, and dedication to their craft. Their contributions not only enrich the coffee industry but also inspire future generations of women to break barriers and redefine what’s possible.
Be sure to check out their coffee online.