Women in Coffee - International Women's Day 2024
Since October 2022, I have been part of a network of women working in the coffee industry. The goal: to support each other’s projects through the exchange of information—and sometimes simply by offering a listening ear.
This is how it happened that one of us turned to the group for emotional support, after a recent event saw participants disqualified and deeply misogynistic posts being shared on Instagram. While such behavior could certainly be criticized harshly, today—on International Women’s Day—we would like to shift the focus. Instead, we want to highlight the incredible and admirable women we have had the privilege of getting to know through our work with Dailima.
Curtain up for:
Janine de Laar, Q Grader, competition coach, and coffee trader at ECOM Coffee in Hamburg. Janine is also the founder of the aforementioned women’s network.
Ann-Kathrin Wehse de Calderón, coffee importer, founder, and managing director of Caraya Coffee, roasting her coffee at Communal Coffee in Berlin.
Enid Esquivel Masias, Q Grader, experienced roaster, founder of Tika Coffee Perú, as well as participant and judge in various international coffee competitions.
Magally Tello-Grandez, coffee producer and managing director of Finca Grandez (the home of our own coffee!).
Karina Tello-Grandez, coffee producer, responsible for administration, logistics, and personnel management at Finca Grandez.
Jessica Tello-Grandez, coffee producer, customer service specialist, and barista at Finca Grandez.
These women, who have supported us at different stages of our journey, answered two key questions on the topic of “women in coffee.”
What challenges have you faced as a woman in your field?
Janine: As a barista, there are recurring situations where customers ask to “speak to the boss,” or direct their communication to my male colleagues regardless of the experience of the people behind the counter. There is an underlying assumption that men are more competent, and many women I know can confirm this. It is particularly noticeable in coffee trading. This industry is still largely male-dominated, and the rare woman is often left answering the phone during trader meetings. Fortunately, I now work in a coffee trading team made up mostly of women, and the communication is incredibly refreshing.
Ann-Kathrin: So far, I have rarely experienced discrimination within the coffee industry—I’ve simply been lucky to work with great people. However, incidents do occur when working with hospitality clients. For example, I was recently asked to recalibrate an espresso machine. When I explained how to handle it, my male counterparts responded dismissively, with a “we already know that” attitude. I am also repeatedly asked—exclusively by men—whether I actually handle the import process myself, or who does it for me. Perhaps it would be different if I were a man?
Enid (translated from Spanish): I believe that, as a society, we have matured a great deal when it comes to gender issues. The challenges I face are more constructive ones: securing working capital, maintaining consistency, ensuring quality, and above all, building trust.
Magally (translated from Spanish): Working in the fields can be physically demanding and tough for a woman. Most producers in the region are men, and for us as female coffee farmers, transporting harvested beans and washing coffee during harvest season is exhausting work—but we persist. Another challenge is resource management. Our farm is located in a small settlement somewhat far from the city of Rodríguez de Mendoza. Transportation, procurement, and hiring labor for construction or repairs are complicated. This delays our processes and makes it difficult to move forward and complete tasks on time.
Karina (translated from Spanish): Especially in countries like Peru, or in sectors such as agriculture where female entrepreneurs are still uncommon, access to information for women can be limited. It becomes a proactive struggle to acquire the necessary knowledge and apply it every day.
Jessica (translated from Spanish): As a barista, your main responsibility is toward the customer—they should feel comfortable. However, attitudes toward female service staff are often condescending. For someone like me, who comes from generations of coffee producers, this is very disheartening.
What advice would you give to women who want to follow in your footsteps?
Janine: Connect with other women, collaborate with other coffee professionals (regardless of gender), and dare to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. There is no such thing as “you can’t do this.” Everything is worth trying—you can only grow from it.
Ann-Kathrin: I believe it is very important to put your idea or product out there. Seek feedback, build networks, and never hide. Sometimes I look at male colleagues and think: “There’s something to learn from them in terms of confidence.” I’ve noticed that people who are perceived as male tend to step forward more often and speak up—regardless of their level of expertise. There is a lot of self-assurance there. In principle, we are all capable of that. We just must not be afraid or hide. We need to go out and take action—even, and especially, when things are not perfect.
Enid (translated from Spanish): Persistence, humility, and sincerity. If you have all three, the path becomes easier. By sharing what you do with others every day, you learn from them—and that is what accumulates over time.
Magally (translated from Spanish): I would tell women who want to become entrepreneurs in the coffee industry not to stop fighting for their goals, despite all challenges. It is important to surround themselves with a network of professional and personal support that can accompany and strengthen them through every obstacle, so they can succeed in this wonderful coffee business.
Karina (translated from Spanish): No matter the industry, building something requires perseverance, teamwork, and discipline.
Jessica (translated from Spanish): There is so much to learn about the entire process behind a cup of coffee—from planting and harvesting to roasting. It is important to acquire this knowledge. Above all, the industry lives through its coffee culture—you should become part of it.
Personally, I can only agree with all of this. There are still areas—such as trade—that are not typically associated with women. As a result, and perhaps also due to the lack of visibility of women in these roles, I am sometimes made to feel that this is not a place for women. In the worst case, you begin to doubt yourself.
There is one piece of advice all the women we spoke to share: connection with other women in the coffee industry is essential. Not only for exchanging knowledge, but also for building confidence. Competent and self-assured women as role models—that is what we aspire to, and what we are actively working toward at Dailima.
With that in mind, we celebrate International Women’s Day as a powerful opportunity to give these role models the visibility they deserve.