FROM THE BLOG
Raise Your Cup for Women Farmers in Coffee and Cocoa
Equal Origins is cultivating a year-long activation to elevate the women who grow up to 70% of the world’s coffee and cocoa, to coincide with the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Feb. 26, 2026
Starting March 1, and extending throughout 2026, Equal Origins is calling on café owners, roasters, and anyone in the coffee and cocoa supply chains to take part in a simple, yet impactful, effort to honor and support women farmers. Chocolate and coffee lovers can also participate, whether from home or in participating locations.
Women raise up to 70% of each of these commodities, but they are vastly under-resourced and too often unseen. Equal Origins’ activation, called Raise Your Cup, is meant to shine a light on these women, encourage the adoption of gender-equitable processes across the value chain, and galvanize new partners in helping give women farmers the tools they need to succeed and enhance the sustainability of cocoa and coffee production.
“Raise Your Cup is designed to be a low-barrier, highly visible way to shine a light on work that, far too often, is unseen and therefore undervalued. From the simple step of sharing a photo with your morning coffee and linking to our resources, to taking on new, gender-equitable initiatives within your business, there are so many ways to get involved,” said Kimberly Easson, president of Equal Origins. “The activation is one way we’re celebrating the International Year of the Woman Farmer, which is a huge opportunity to make sure women farmers are seen, valued and supported. We hope to tell their stories while gaining new allies in gender equity well beyond 2026.”
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Rich Family Foundation
We invite you to join us in the upcoming Kindred Sparks activations:
• Raise Your Cup for Women Farmers: March 1 – March 8
A simple, visible campaign aligned with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. Snap a photo of yourself alone or with others raising a cup for women farmers and post it on social media. Tag @equalorigins and use the hashtags #IYWF2026 and #raiseyourcup. Every raised cup is a gesture of recognition, solidarity, and support. Ready to use social media templates are also available.
Order your Raise Your Cup mug or other Kindred Sparks “merch“ here!
• Choose One Kindred Sparks Action
Advance one meaningful genderequity improvement within your organization and share progress throughout the year.
• Amplify Women Farmers’ Stories
Use shared storytelling assets, profiles, and QR codes; nominate women for Equal Origins Awards. Find details here.
• Activate Your Community
Host café events or promotions throughout the year, beginning with the Raise Your Cup activation in March. Book club, cuppings, or informal meet-ups are great ways to start. Tag your friends and @equalorigins, as well as #IYWF2026 #raiseyourcup.
• Join Equal Origins’ Kindred Sparks Champions Circle
Support the expansion of the Gender Equity Index (GEI) and gain visibility as a committed partner. Find out more here.
• CoCreate or Fund Origin Projects
For partners ready to invest more deeply in women’s livelihoods and leadership. Contact program@EqualOrigins.org
KINDRED SPARKS SUPPORTERS
Ascension Coffee · Stumptown · NKG
NETWORK ACTIVATION PARTNERS
Alabaster International · IDInsight
Equal Origins offers social media templates, print-ready signage, and farmer stories to make participation simple and powerful.
Equal Origins envisions a world where women in agriculture have equal access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making power – fueling resilient, prosperous farming communities and a more sustainable future for all. Our work is rooted in more than a decade of research, tools, and relationships advancing gender equity across 23 countries and 530,000+ farming families.
We hope you’ll join us as we activate together. We’ll also host webinars—including our first one of the year on March 5 (register here)—and, share additional farmers’ stories, and collate the work of our partners as the year unfolds.
