The Cafe Femenino Foundation (CFF), based in Vancouver, Washington, is a nonprofit with a mission to improve the lives of women and children in coffee producing communities around the world.

The story of CFF began in 2004 in Northern Peru with the first gathering of Women Coffee Producers came up with the idea to improve their living conditions by marketing their products separately from other coffee. Many of these coffee producing women in Peru, and throughout developing nations, have no rights, have been abandoned and are abused. In urban areas of Peru, the abuse rate, physically and emotionally, is estimated at 41%.

With limited resources, any family finances available for education are usually provided for the sons, while the daughters do chores and watch over the farm … fertilize, harvest, de-pulp, ferment, dry the coffee, etc. It is rare for women to participate in the selling of coffee or to make any decisions on how the money received is used.

The Cafe Femenino Foundation works within the socio-economic structure to support women coffee growers in countries such as Peru and Guatemala. The importer of Cafe Femenino coffee products agrees to sell the coffee as ‘Fair Trade‘ or ‘organic‘ coffee, and pays an additional premium per pound, which goes directly to the women coffee producers.

The increased income has resulted in improvements to the diet, improved sanitation, new wet-processing mills, many miles of new roads, educational improvements, and other improvements in living conditions.

Consumers can also donate to CFF, which provides grants to projects that enhance the lives of coffee communities.

Past grants include leadership training, kitchen remodeling projects, seed programs, breeding program, tsunami relief, Hurricane Stan relief, and other worthy projects.

The 2008 goal is to raise $100,000 for grant assistance.

Information on their “Coffee Can” donation program or other activities can be found on their website.