Empowering Women Coffee Growers: CHOICE Shares Pilot Results Through Four Workshops in Cauca
150 women from Cauca’s coffee sector, four workshops, and one shared ambition: making coffee production more sustainable, resilient, and economically viable.
Empowering Women to Shape the Future of Sustainable Coffee
Behind every cup of coffee lies a story of people, communities, and choices. In Colombia’s Cauca region, women coffee growers are playing an important role in shaping a more sustainable future for coffee production.
Throughout October, CHOICE brought together 150 women from the coffee sector through four workshops held on 2, 6, 10, and 20 October in Santander de Quilichao, Inzá, Rosas, and Popayán.
Organised by SUPRACAFÉ and TECNiCAFÉ, in collaboration with the Cauca Coffee Growers Committee, the workshops brought the results of the Colombian CHOICE pilot directly to women members of the Cauca Coffee Women’s Network, ENTREAMIGAS.
The goal? To share knowledge, highlight practical solutions, and encourage climate-conscious choices that support both coffee-growing communities and the environment.
From Pilot Results to Everyday Choices
How can coffee growers produce high-quality coffee while reducing costs and environmental impacts?
This question is at the heart of the Colombian CHOICE pilot, which focuses on supporting women coffee producers in adopting more sustainable agricultural practices and strengthening the resilience of their communities.
During the workshops, participants explored the pilot’s results, with particular attention to practices adopted by women coffee growers to improve production efficiency, maintain coffee quality, and reduce environmental impacts.
The sessions also highlighted CINE A LA FINCA, the engagement campaigns developed within the Colombian pilot to bring sustainability messages closer to coffee-growing communities.
By connecting the project’s findings with the practical realities of coffee production, the workshops helped make sustainability knowledge more accessible, relevant, and actionable.
Women at the Heart of Climate-Conscious Change
Sustainable transformation is not only about introducing new practices. It is also about empowering people to make informed choices that work for their communities.
The four workshops brought together women leaders from different coffee-growing municipalities across Cauca, creating opportunities to share the results of CHOICE with those directly involved in the region’s coffee sector.
Through individual invitations and direct outreach, the Colombian team encouraged participation among women whose experience and local knowledge are essential to advancing sustainable agriculture.
Their involvement reflects a key CHOICE principle: lasting change starts with people, participation, and choices grounded in everyday realities.
By putting women coffee growers at the centre of the conversation, CHOICE promotes an inclusive approach to climate action, recognising their important role in shaping more resilient agricultural communities.
Growing Sustainable Choices, Together
From Santander de Quilichao to Popayán, the four workshops marked another step in bringing CHOICE’s Colombian pilot results closer to local communities.
With 150 women reached across four municipalities, the activities reinforced the importance of sharing practical knowledge and encouraging approaches to coffee production that consider environmental sustainability, production costs, and product quality.
Through the continued efforts of SUPRACAFÉ, TECNiCAFÉ, and local stakeholders, CHOICE is helping connect research with the people and everyday decisions that can drive meaningful change across the food system.
Because every choice matters. And when communities come together, small choices can contribute to a more sustainable future.
Learn more
Discover more about the Colombian Pilot and how CHOICE is empowering women coffee growers to embrace sustainable farming practices and build more resilient communities.
