Meet the Women Behind Your Colombian Coffee

2026 is International Year of the Woman Farmer and throughout the year, we’re celebrating the amazing women behind the coffee at Sucafina origins around the world. We’ve already visited Uganda and Guatemala, and this week we’re in Colombia to hear the perspectives of both coffee producers and Sucafina team members. 

Editorial note: On August 10, Colombia experienced a 7.4-magnitude earthquake, with Cali, Buenaventura, Chocó, Pereira and Manizales among the areas most affected. All our colleagues and partners are safe and well, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by the earthquake and the communities facing the impacts. To support relief efforts, please consider contributing to Colombian Red Cross or UN Crisis Relief. 

Sucafina is proud to partner with dedicated and talented women coffee producers around the world. International Year of the Woman Farmer gives us the opportunity to recognize the many ways women contribute to coffee, from growing and processing coffee to working across the wider value chain.  

In this edition, we hear from Magola Ramírez Flores and Marta Gladys Patiño – coffee producers from Chinchiná in Colombia’s Caldas Region – and Sara Ocampo and Laura Villamil in the Sucafina Colombia team.  

Their experiences offer a glimpse into the different roles women play in the coffee sector, from managing a farm and caring for workers to delivering sustainability initiatives and overseeing logistics. They share insights into their work, what they enjoy most about it and the advice they would give to other women considering a career in coffee. 

Magola Ramírez Flores – Coffee Producer from Chinchiná in Caldas. 

What does a day in your life look like? 

I’m 63 years old and I alternate household chores with actively participating in the coffee processing. I get up, I wash up and I go to the kitchen to make coffee with coffee from the farm, which I give to our workers. 

Right now, I’m reading a book – I set myself a challenge to read it in a month. And if I get the chance, in the afternoon, I’ll play a game of parqués (a Colombian board game). I alternate that with some physical activity like walking. I also love cooking dishes like rice and meatball soup. 

What do you like most about your job? 

Here, the workers are almost part of the family. Workers are happy when they sleep well, eat well and are paid fairly – or maybe even a little extra. It’s important to recognize other people’s effort and you shouldn’t wait for someone to ask you for a bonus. 

I also really like working outdoors. We female coffee growers have a nursery and we’ve already started the ninth phase. We’re building some raised beds on guadua (bamboo). On Sundays we all get together to fill bags. 

What’s your advice to women who want to work in coffee?  

It’s about setting aside a little time for yourself. Setting an example and feeling grateful and fortunate for the environment you live in says more than telling someone, “it’s worth fighting for this or that.” A household with a coffee farm is like a company. It has its manager but there are also the employees and we all work together because this is teamwork. 

Marta Gladys Patiño – Coffee Producer from Chinchiná in Caldas. 

What does a day in your life look like? 

My role on the farm is as a homemaker but I’m also involved with the coffee. I followed on from my father: he was also a member of the cooperative and when he passed away, I carried it on. 

I get up every day at 6:00 AM. Then I go and check on the animals. I have a lot of them: chickens, hens and pigs. Then I come back and make breakfast. After breakfast I manage things here and there. There’s always something to do. 

What do you like most about your job? 

I like going to turn the coffee, whether it’s on the patio or in the dryer, I’m always keeping an eye on the coffee to make sure the quality is good. 

What’s your advice to women who want to work in coffee?  

I’d invite them to keep going with it. Coffee work is very important: it’s really the main activity in the household for those who have a farm. Staying on top of the coffee means it can turn out good quality. 

 

Sara Ocampo – Sustainability Manager, Colombia and CAMP 

What does a day in your job look like? 

I’ve been working with Sucafina for around five years. A typical day in my job means waking up, coming to the office and then starting to connect with people all around the world. I have a lot of conversations with people in Asia, Africa and Central America – so catching up with people in different time zones. 

What do you like most about your job? 

Being able to connect different stakeholders in the coffee business, especially connecting roasters, clients and traders at destination with what we do at origin and joining up those efforts to generate impact on the ground and improve the lives of coffee growers.  

What’s your advice to women who want to work in coffee?  

It would be to use the passion and energy that we have to make things happen, and to use empathy specifically in sustainability to actually understand the needs of the growers and be able to generate impact. 

 

Laura Villamil – Logistics Execution Manager 

What does a day in your job look like? 

I’ve been at Sucafina Colombia for 4 years now and in logistics, there’s always something happening; that’s the truth. That gives me the opportunity to be very active when it comes to thinking about changes in different parts of the operation.  

What do you like most about your job? 

Getting the opportunity to talk to different members of different teams. I have the chance to learn new things every single day. And I also love being able to make decisions that impact the business. 

What’s your advice to women who want to work in coffee?  

Go for it and just give it a chance to bring impact to the coffee business. Behind every cup of coffee there’s a story, there’s a farmer and there’s a location we don’t know. We need more women leading this process, more women creating impact and bringing new ideas to the coffee business. 

  

Interested in learning more about our Colombia supply chains or booking coffee? Get in touch with your trader to explore our offerings.