Gender Equity Coffee farmers inspecting crops. Credit: CoopeTarrazú
CoopeTarrazú–the largest coffee cooperative in Costa Rica–is no stranger to accolades. The 63-year old business is well-known for producing superb coffee and recently became the first cooperative in Central America to export deforestation-certified coffee to the European Union.
But CoopeTarrazú boasts another important achievement: its championship of women and families. Through a comprehensive set of programs, such as the formation of a gender committee, family health screenings, and child labor prevention programs, CoopeTarrazú continually demonstrates its commitment to ensuring women’s equal inclusion in agriculture and the wellbeing of rural families.
The Challenge
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), rural women represent one-third of the global population and 43% of the agricultural labor force. In Latin America and the Caribbean, women account for more than 20% of agricultural employment in Latin America and the Caribbean, yet they spend three times more time on domestic work and unpaid caregiving than men.
Despite their essential contributions, women continue to face a lack of access to resources, technical education, and economic opportunities, limiting their economic, social, and political participation, which in turn impacts rural economies and communities generally.
Furthermore, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that over 70% of child labor globally is in agriculture. Until recently, in Los Santos, where CoopeTarrazú is based, children were frequently found working alongside parents in the coffee field. According to the ILO, poverty is the main cause of child labor in agriculture, combined with limited access to quality education, inadequate agricultural technology and access to adult labor, high hazards and risks, and traditional attitudes towards children’s participation in agricultural activities.
Jazmin Rivera Jiménez has worked her way up at CoopeTarrazú from coffee producer to Finance Manager. Credit: CoopeTarrazú
Our Collaboration
Since 2018, Root Capital has loaned CoopeTarrazú more than $9 million. We’ve also provided them with more than 20 free business management advisory workshops to help them become more financially successful. With these investments, CoopeTarrazú has greatly improved the community’s well-being by offering health screenings, including pap smears and mammograms, organizing neighborhood clean-ups, and providing back-to-school initiatives.
Root Capital has also helped to strengthen women’s leadership within the cooperative. For example, Jazmin Rivera Jiménez–who has worked her way up at CoopeTarrazú from coffee producer to Finance Manager–is a member of our Women’s Council. Launched in 2023, the Women’s Council is a community that provides professional development and mentorship, and helps cross-pollinate solutions for women agricultural leaders across Central America, South America, and Africa.
“Due to the volume of coffee that we receive, it is extremely important to have different funders,” says Jazmin. “Root Capital allows us to guarantee we have the resources to be able to pay a cash advance to our producers at harvest time.”
The Impact
In 2019, CoopeTarrazú took their commitment to family well-being one step further by instituting child labor prevention programs and offering balanced daily meals to children. This initiative has been supported by the Costa Rican government, which now partners with the cooperative to create “Casas de Alegría,” care centers to provide food and education for children under 12 accompanying their parents during the harvest season. CoopeTarrazú now operates 19 Casas, employs 55 women, and serves over 1,365 children a day.
As one of the 18 members of Root Capital Women’s Council, Jazmin will continue to grow in her leadership, both as a representative for the cooperative and as an ambassador for her region. Collectively, these 18 women represent agricultural enterprises that generate over $175 million in annual sales, supporting more than 32,000 rural families and directly benefiting over 200,000 people.
By championing women and their families, CoopeTarrazú is a powerful testament to the far-reaching impact that can happen when businesses value their people as much as their profits.