Promoting Human Rights for Thriving, Equitable Coffee Communities 

Resilient, equitable coffee communities are rooted in respect for human rights. That’s why promoting and protecting the rights of workers, women, children and young people in the regions where we work is one of the Goal areas of Sucafina’s IMPACT Program. Advancing gender equality and championing women’s participation in the coffee value chain is a key focus of our approach. 

This article at a glance: 

• Through IMPACT, Sucafina is tackling the root causes of human rights risks through community-based approaches and local partnerships. 
• We’re working across origin countries to identify risks and promote rights through practical, locally led solutions. 
• In East Africa, we’re rolling out a gender strategy that’s helping to advance equality, empower women and shift social norms in coffee communities. 

 Mitigating Human Rights Risks 

Addressing human rights issues is one of the biggest and most complex challenges facing the coffee industry today. Addressing risks requires constant effort, a commitment to continuous learning and cooperation among different stakeholders.  These risks are often linked to broader socioeconomic issues, such as low income and limited access to basic services and education. Through IMPACT, our approach tackles these root causes and helps to build more inclusive and resilient communities. 

Sucafina’s commitment to upholding human rights within our operations and supply chain is set out in our Labor and Human Rights Policy, as well as our Environmental and Social Management System, Code of Conduct for employees and our Suppliers’ Code of Conduct. We have a robust grievance mechanism in place called Speak Up. Available 24/7 to all internal and external stakeholders, Speak Up allows anonymous submissions and is independent from Sucafina, ensuring confidentiality and impartiality. 

We carry out regular risk assessments in the regions where we operate as part of our human rights due diligence system. We analyze the likelihood of risks occurring to help us prioritize our efforts and take targeted action for mitigation.  

A key part of our strategy is working directly with communities to identify risks and support practical, locally-led solutions. For instance, in Brazil, following risk assessments to identify human rights risks in communities and workshops to sensitize participants on worker’s rights, we are working with Nossa Voz (Our Voice) – a WhatsApp based, easily accessible grievance mechanism – to prevent and mitigate social risks in the supply chain. In Papua New Guinea, in addition to distributing coffee and vegetable seedlings to help increase household income and setting up water wells to improve quality of life, we are piloting a community-based approach. Grounded in trust and local knowledge, this model centers on Community Facilitators, who are trained on human rights and labor law. These trusted community members raise awareness, identify risks and support remediation efforts, enabling more responsive, context-specific monitoring. 

Promoting Gender Equality in Coffee Communities 

Advancing gender equality and championing the participation of women in the coffee value chain is another major focus of our Human Rights IMPACT Goal. 

Women play a vital role in coffee production, contributing significantly at every stage – from planting and nurturing coffee trees to harvesting and processing. Yet, their contributions often go unrecognized, and many women face structural barriers that limit their access to land, resources, training and opportunities.  

To address these challenges through IMPACT, we developed a gender strategy built around three pillars: mainstreaming gender inclusivity across our programs, supporting women’s economic empowerment and addressing social norms.  

Guided by the Gender Equity Index assessments conducted with Equal Origins, our teams in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda developed country-specific action plans and began to implement them in 2024. Here’s a look at some of the results so far. 

 
1. Gender Mainstreaming 

Gender mainstreaming is the cornerstone of our gender strategy. It starts with applying a gender-inclusive and gender-responsive lens to our programs and farmer services. 

We appointed six Gender Leads (four women) and set up Gender Committees in Rwanda and Tanzania. We also supported cooperatives in Kenya and Tanzania to do the same. Training for staff and farming households covers gender equality, power dynamics, health, nutrition and Good Agricultural Practices, embedding gender awareness across our operations. 

Gender mainstreaming activities such as these build a strong foundation for long-term change by embedding gender awareness across our operations and local partnerships. 

 
2. Women’s Economic Empowerment 

To boost women’s economic resilience, we help them start small businesses and join savings groups. In Rwanda, two women’s groups launched pig-rearing businesses, while 16 Village Savings and Loan Associations (400 members, including 120+ women) give farmers access to savings and low-interest loans. These initiatives strengthen livelihoods and increase women’s financial decision-making power. 

Initiatives such as these strengthen women’s livelihoods and enable them to take greater control of household and business finances. 

3. Transforming Social Norms 

Shifting social norms and attitudes toward gender is key to long-term equality. In Uganda, 40 households are taking part in a Gender Action Learning Program, already seeing joint land ownership, shared household decision-making and better access to loans for women. Across East Africa, over 8,700 farmers (46% women) have attended gender equality trainings, and 660 couples are now sharing household responsibilities more equitably. 

Together, these initiatives are reshaping norms and creating more inclusive coffee communities. 

Looking Ahead 

Achieving gender equality is an ongoing journey that requires commitment, collaboration and continuous learning. By integrating gender considerations across our programs, investing in inclusive partnerships and supporting local leadership, we are laying the foundation for lasting, systemic change. 

Read our 2024 Sustainability Report to learn more about how Sucafina is advancing human rights and fostering resilient, equitable coffee communities. And if you’re interested in partnering with us to implement an IMPACT project in your supply chain, reach out to your trader today.