Mió prides itself on a 100% traceability guarantee for the entire crop every year. Each stage of the journey, from where the cherries were harvested, which trucks moved them, how and when they were processed, is tracked using satellite imagery. Being a technology-driven far, Mió improves the farmworkers’ quality of life, ensures an abundant harvest and guarantees the highest processing standards for the crop.

The farm spans a total of 1,589 hectares and a third of the land is used for coffee processing and milling facilities, some pasture areas and the plantation of eucalyptus trees, which is home to some lovely bees. The rest of the land is equally divided between the coffee trees and the native forest reserve. With plenty of spring water in the estate, one of Mió’s responsibilities is to not only maintain the water flow but also to improve water quality. Dedicating the same amount of land to the coffee as to the native forest helps preserve the natural characteristics of the area.

Rwamatamu Coffee is a family-owned coffee plantation and washing station in Kiyube, within the Western Province of Rwanda. Rwamatamu was founded in 2015 by husband and wife Rutaganda Gaston and Mukantwaza Laetitia in order to combat the poverty they saw in their local communities by creating jobs in harvesting and processing coffee. Gaston and Laetitia began cultivating coffee in an effort to make a positive impact on their local community while also providing for their family. The venture was successful, and as the farm grew in size and profit, so did their passion for growing incredible coffee.

This is the environment that their daughter, Marie Bernice, was raised in, so it’s no surprise that she’ll be taking over operations as her parents retire. Bernice and her husband Luke are eager to build on the already strong foundation of Rwamatamu by expanding upon its core values of community, integrity, and sustainability.

In Guatemala, coffee has long been a male-dominate industry and gender equality remains a challenge. It is still unfortunately very difficult for women in Guatemala to compete and thrive in the coffee world.

La Morena is a coffee that showcases the work of women farmers across Guatemala. Between 20% and 30% of coffee farms are female-operated and up to 70% of labour in coffee production is provided by women, depending on the region. However, women have systematically lower access to resources, such as land, credit and information, than men. This often results in a measurable gender gap in economic outcomes, including yields, productivity and farm income.

Produced exclusively by female farmers, La Morena is also a Volcafe Way coffee. Since they joined the program, the farmers have increased the quality of their coffee, increased their yields, and, as a consequence, started earning more. In teaching them best practices, their farms are turning out excellent coffee and becoming viable businesses.