BUSTAMANTE, Costa Rica – For Kattya Hidalgo, the chickens came first. Then the eggs. It’s not clear which bring her more joy.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Hidalgo, 46, is part of a cohort of women farmers who work with <a href="https://www.beanvoyage.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bean Voyage</a>, a Costa Rican nonprofit supported in part by The Starbucks Foundation, that empowers smallholder women coffee farmers with training in farming techniques, climate change, business fundamentals, financial literacy and project management.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After they finish a year-long curriculum, they can apply for seed money to start income-diversification projects.&nbsp;

With $300 last year, Hidalgo bought eight chickens and built a coop.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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“Hens caught my attention the most because here at home, we rarely eat meat. We prefer to eat eggs,” Hidalgo says. “But eggs are very expensive. We would limit ourselves to one egg a day. If you had eggs for lunch, you had no right to eat eggs at night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I can’t explain to you the joy of seeing the first eggs, seeing my children – ‘Mommy, eggs!’ – eating eggs produced by me.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Since March 2022, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/the-starbucks-foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Starbucks Foundation</a> has awarded 10 grants totaling nearly $3 million to nonprofits working with women in coffee and tea-growing communities across seven countries, including Bean Voyage. This announcement, on International Women’s Day, is part of the Foundation’s continuing <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/the-starbucks-foundation-commits-to-uplift-one-million-women-and-girls-in-origin-communities-by-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">goal to positively impact 1 million women and girls in “origin communities” by 2030</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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“We’re proud to work with nonprofits to reach women in coffee and tea-growing communities like Kattya,” says Alicia Vermaele, executive director of The Starbucks Foundation. “Through our Origin Grants, we’re helping to create opportunities and promote more equitable access to resources that enable women to improve their lives and livelihoods. We know that when we invest in a woman, we uplift not only that woman, but also her family and her community – leading to a brighter future for all.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

With these grants, The Starbucks Foundation expects to reach an additional 60,000 women and girls over the next three years.&nbsp;

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In January, Sunghee Tark, co-founder and CEO of Bean Voyage, visited Hidalgo’s farm to check in on her and her hen project. Tark started the nonprofit in 2016 with her friend, Abhinav Khanal, after they graduated from college, in response to the millions of “invisible” women who work on coffee farms around the world. They chose the name Bean Voyage to help women coffee producers “feel like they’re traveling the world through their coffee,” Tark says.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Because of how the coffee industry has been structured, and then the cultural elements in many parts of the world, including Latin America, a lot of times, the work that women do isn’t necessarily valued the same way as the work that men do,” Tark says.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“As an organization, we believe that if women are provided with the resources and then the right conditions, they will know what to do moving forward. What we do is make those resources available so they can actually go out and build their own future for themselves.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

For 22 years, Hidalgo worked as a legal assistant in San José, the bustling capital of Costa Rica. But then her boss, a lawyer, died. She and her family moved back to the countryside, where she’d grown up, and took over a coffee, fruit and vegetable farm. Though she was enthusiastic, there was a lot to learn. That’s when she heard about Bean Voyage and became intrigued by its mission.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We live not only in a country, but in a world of aggression, where women have always been given very little space,” Hidalgo says. “Here and everywhere, people have always believed that men are the ones in charge, the ones who have to bring food to the table, and that women are only meant to raise children, and it's not like that. We live in times of equality when both you and I can work, and we both can contribute.”&nbsp;

Hidalgo says she’s learned so much from Bean Voyage – not only about better farming techniques but also about being a leader in her community, climate change adaptation and business and entrepreneurship. She sometimes sells her extra eggs to neighbors, which provides additional income. And she hopes to export her coffee one day.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I want to keep learning. I no longer see myself as someone who struggles to learn,” she says. “On the contrary, I want to learn more every day and become even better than what I am.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I love them. You have no idea,” she says, laughing. “My hens will die of old age, but I won’t eat them.”&nbsp;

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The Starbucks Foundation Origin Grant recipients

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Three women smiling outside on a farm, holding a plastic tub of eggs

Here’s what impact looks like. Meet Kattya, a smallholder coffee farmer in Costa Rica, who’s building a better life for her family, one egg at a time.

New round of grants from The Starbucks Foundation will help uplift women and girls in coffee-growing communities

Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

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At Starbucks we aspire to be people-positive by enhancing the well-being of all who connect with Starbucks, from our partners (employees) to customers, coffee farmers and communities around the world.

Our purpose has always gone beyond the pursuit of profit and beyond making great coffee. We have a responsibility <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/on-international-womens-day-meet-5-women-crucial-to-bringing-coffee-to-you/">to care for people across the entire supply chain</a> who make coffee possible – from bean to cup, farmer to customer.

“To create a sustainable future of coffee, we must care for the well-being of the farmers and communities that grow coffee, tea and cocoa around the world,” said Michelle Burns, Starbucks executive vice president of Global Coffee Tea and Cocoa and board member of The Starbucks Foundation. “While we continue to provide holistic support to all farmers, helping to improve their lives and livelihoods, we know that when we invest in women, we are also investing in her community.”

That’s why in 2018, The Starbucks Foundation set a goal to empower 250,000 women and girls in coffee-, tea- and cocoa-growing communities by 2025. In 2022 we met this goal – three years ahead of schedule – thanks to partnerships with nonprofit organizations around the world. Now, The Starbucks Foundation has set a new goal to positively impact 1 million women and girls in coffee-, tea- and cocoa-growing communities by 2030 as part of Starbucks people positive ambitions. 

“Our longstanding and trusted partnership with The Starbucks Foundation has allowed us to lean into our respective expertise and truly collaborate around our shared vision to strengthen communities around the world,” said Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps, one of The Starbucks Foundation’s grantees. “We are passionate about meeting the unique needs of women and girls globally and recognize the vast gender disparities between men and women.”

This progress includes more than 40 grants totaling $14 million from The Starbucks Foundation to nonprofit organizations since 2018. These grants promote women’s leadership, economic opportunities and access to clear water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in coffee-, tea- and cocoa-growing communities in 17 countries.

Read more about our commitment to women and girls <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/starbucks-reaches-goal-of-supporting-women-and-girls-in-coffee-and-tea-origin-communities/">here</a> and see the list of The Starbucks Foundation’s recently awarded grants below.

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See the list of The Starbucks Foundation’s recently awarded origin grants to uplift women and girls in coffee-, tea- and cocoa-growing communities.

The Starbucks Foundation commits to uplift 1 million women and girls in origin communities by 2030

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The Starbucks Foundation is halfway to its goal to empower 250,000 women and girls in coffee- and tea-growing communities by 2025

Our commitment to ensuring a sustainable future of coffee for all starts with strengthening the communities that grow coffee and tea around the world. Women play key roles in these communities for their households, farms and businesses. We believe that investing in women and girls in coffee- and tea-growing regions makes a significant impact for both families and their broader communities.

The Starbucks Foundation’s Origin Grants help these communities continue to break down barriers to education, promote clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and create economic opportunities for women and girls.

On International Women’s Day in 2018, The Starbucks Foundation announced a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2018/starbucks-partners-with-malala-fund-to-invest-in-women/">goal to empower 250,000 women and girls in origin communities by 2025</a>. We are proud to announce we are more than halfway towards achieving this goal, having reached more than 125,000 women through programs around women’s leadership, access to finance, and healthy homes in coffee- and tea-growing communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

This International Women’s Day, The Starbucks Foundation is awarding two new grants to Mercy Corps and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, given the urgent needs surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Women everywhere often play a key role in uplifting their families and keeping them safe. COVID-19’s impact makes this role more critical than ever in areas which have less access to resources and support. These grants will advance the important work of protecting the lives and livelihoods within coffee and tea origin communities, with continued support for clean water and sanitation and economic resilience for women.

Hear from Floridalma, Niharika and Thacienne about how these grants have given them and their families new opportunities and hope for the future.

Meet Floridalma, a farmer who lives in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. She takes care of the farm and family of five at home. Floridalma received life skills training from World Neighbors.

“I had a very rough time trying to take care of the house and my family. I always wanted to start my own business, but I did not have the support. I have learned about how to incorporate all kinds of vegetables into the coffee plantations, raise chickens and have clean water that has made life better in this community. I grow and sell coffee, but also vegetables. I have a healthier home with facilities, which has been very helpful for the family. We now have renewed hope in ourselves.”

Meet Niharika, a 15-year-old who lives near a tea estate in Assam, India. As part of an adolescent club organized by Girl Rising, Niharika is pursuing her dream to become an engineer. To help address poor access to water in her village, Niharika recently built a handwashing station for her community using simple, everyday items.

“A lot of times women have to travel long-distance to wash their hands. This (Tippy Tap) will ensure that they wash their hands before and after their meals.”

Niharika has already presented the idea of setting up Tippy Taps to her school principal, who is keen to have Niharika take the lead.

Meet Thacienne, a member of an all-women social enterprise in a coffee-growing region. Days for Girls is training Thacienne and other women in the group to sew, grow their businesses, and serve as menstrual health educators in the community.

“COVID-19 really revealed the importance of our project in making and distributing sanitary pads for the community. We have been able to save the money we used to spend on disposables and use some to satisfy other family needs. Those savings are now feeding our families. We want to expand and contribute to the economic development of women and girls.”

The Starbucks Foundation’s 2021 Origin Grants recipients include:

Mercy Corps | Colombia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia and Kenya, 2021 – 2022

To protect the lives and livelihoods of 500,000 people in coffee and tea communities from the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19. The project will provide accurate health and vaccine information, support to water and sanitation initiatives, and build pathways towards long-term economic recovery, especially for women and girls.

Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund | Colombia, 2021 – 2022

To train 130 rural indigenous women on health and economic empowerment in agroecological practices, create rotatory communal funds for grants and support network for women farmers. The project will also educate on COVID-19 safe practices, provide restoration to clean water access and establish advocacy campaigns to ensure inclusion and effective participation of rural women in community decision-making.

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The Starbucks Foundation is halfway to its goal to empower 250,000 women and girls in coffee and tea growing communities by 2025.

More than 125,000 women and girls empowered through The Starbucks Foundation’s Origin Grants

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The Starbucks Foundation is halfway to its goal to empower 250,000 women and girls in coffee- and tea-growing communities by 2025.

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