Lucía Alvarez
“I learned about coffee from my father, and I inherited from him a passion and a love for coffee.”
“We need new technologies in the field—laboratories for coffee and soil analysis, cable lines to move coffee bags—and alongside the market, I want to establish a shop run by women coffee farmers.”
Achievements
I’ve traveled to the United States many times to tell women’s stories, and visited coffee origins across Latin America to learn everything I could about production. I brought together a large group of women coffee farmers, the Asociación Guardianas del Agro, and opened a local market in Garzón so they can sell what they grow beyond the harvest season.
Challenges
Farming takes a great deal of physical strength—carrying 50 kg bags of coffee uphill is demanding for a woman, and many women are alone on their farms with no labor to help at harvest. In my case, my son decided to stay on the farm to help me with the work. It’s important for the women farmers to find ways to lower their costs of production.
Her experience as a woman farmer
My experience is built on teamwork, resilience, and showing that from the countryside, anything is possible.
From the countryside, anything is possible.
Shared in collaboration with Coocentral.