International Women’s Coffee Alliance Signs MOU with Alliance for Coffee Excellence and Cup of Excellence
Recognizing their mutual interest in the development of programs beneficial to women in all sectors of the coffee industry, the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) has formed a memorandum of understanding with Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) and Cup of Excellence (CoE). The partnerships will focus on empowering women to realize greater financial success while creating paths of opportunity for impact and professional development in the coffee industry. These partnerships will look for ways to build sustainable income for women that will ultimately create healthier coffee communities.
“I am very excited about this partnership between IWCA and ACE/COE which will provide opportunities for our women producers through both training and market access, leading to higher income generation while also providing unique coffees for the consumers,” said IWCA Executive Director Dr. Sarada Krishnan.
The first action in the partnership with ACE will involve identifying Cup of Excellence winners that are members of the country IWCA chapter to leverage both organizations in promoting these quality producers to increase their auction premiums. Additionally, the two organizations will work to plan marketing, educational and other promotional activities to increase the awareness about ACE, IWCA and its chapter members. The groups will also partner on mutually beneficial projects and sharing of essential information for growth and development.
The partnership with CoE will focus on promoting competitions, infrastructure transparency and other strategies for rewarding high quality producers from IWCA chapters. The organizations will collaborate on cupping training, educational programs and other relevant projects designed to advance technical skills and sensory education among women in the coffee industry.
Both MOUs will be signed together live by ACE Executive Director, Darrin Daniel, and IWCA Executive Director, Sarada Krishnan, following Darrin’s presentation, “Coffee Auctions as A Marketing Tool,” at IWCA’s online convention.
“This partnership between ACE/COE and IWCA is highly important for the future of our organizations and our ability to recognize our mutual interests in supporting coffee producers, especially fostering and strengthening women in the coffee supply chain. We are thrilled to forge this partnership and look into avenues where we can intersect and explore opportunities in research, technical education and many other ways for our organizations to build stronger relationships, said Executive Director Darrin Daniel.
Utilizing the skill set and experience of Cup of Excellence Co-Founder, Susie Spindler, as a new IWCA Board of Director, the organizations will be able to work fluidly in planning. In addition to identifying projects for empowerment, the groups will look for funding from individuals, corporations, foundations, NGOs, International Development Organizations and Governments. For more information and to get involved visit womenincoffee.org.
About International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA):
Founded in 2003, the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) leads women’s empowerment in the global coffee industry by supporting a global network of independent, self-organized chapters in 27 countries. The mission of IWCA is to empower women in the international coffee community to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives; and to encourage and recognize the participation of women in all aspects of the coffee industry. As a global network, the IWCA achieves empowerment through leadership development, strategic partnership, and amplified market visibility. For updates and related events, please visit womenincoffee.org.
About Cup of Excellence®
Cup of Excellence (COE) is a nonprofit 501c(3) tax exempt organization that owns and manages the Cup of Excellence® competition process, conducts training, testing, research projects and other activities designed to increase the discovery and recognition of handcrafted coffees, high quality farmers and the appreciation of exemplary coffees worldwide. For more information, please visit cupofexcellence.org
About The Alliance for Coffee Excellence
The Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) is a nonprofit 501c (6) tax exempt organization dedicated to the discovery, appreciation, and reward for top quality coffees. Its mission to support excellence in coffee includes trading and auction activities that result in the development of higher incomes and sustainable economic development for its partner coffee producing countries. ACE conducts transparent auctions rewarding individual farmers who work hard to produce exemplary coffees including Cup of Excellence® competition winners, Private Collection Auctions and others that meet its requirements. ACE also conducts cuppings, marketing, events, training, and other activities designed to increase understanding, appreciation, and premiums for exemplary coffee worldwide. ACE enjoys a global membership of top tier coffee companies.