Marcarlense women´s voice in the production of coffee under sustainable practices: a Honduras case study

Abstract

Coffee is a crop of commercial interest worldwide and its production is mainly dominated by men, leaving women to produce subsistence crops such as vegetables. However, in Marcala, Honduras the Coffee Equilibrio^[1] (pseudonym) exporting company involves women in the production and export of coffee. The objective of the study is to analyze the identity and situation faced by women coffee growers from Marcala who market their coffee with an export company. The primary method of data collection was through the participatory photovoice methodology, complemented by semi-structured interviews with Café Equilibrio members and executives The photographs taken by the women were classified according to the research questions and analyzed using the Feminist Agri-Food Systems Theory (FAST).  The results demonstrate that the identity of the Marcala coffee women is influenced by cultural, religious, and social factors. Also, it was identified that women implement sustainable agricultural practices that facilitate their access to the international organic coffee market and improvement of their household food security. Coffee Equilibrio has sought to satisfy the economic needs of the women and has contributed to strengthening their technical, personal, and social skills. This study also contributed to the FAST Theory by incorporating a family approach to gender analysis, given that in Honduran women coffee growers involved seek their development more at the family than at the individual level.

[1] To protect the privacy of the company, the fictitious name "Café Equilibrio" will be used throughout the document.