These stand-out offerings allow the coffee curious to explore the best tastes of the season. Dive into the flavors and the stories that highlight how our sourcing relationships are bearing (delicious) fruit.

Women in Coffee Series

Organic First Light

Peru | February 2026

Light Roast

Sweet & Fruity
Raspberry, Honey, Lemon, Molasses

Farmer Co-op: Norandino

Origin: Piura, Peru

Elevation: 1200-1500 MASL

Story told by Beth Ann Caspersen, Equal Exchange Coffee Quality Control Manager

Norandino in Piura, Peru has been a model for Gender Equity in the cooperative sector. As a multi-service, secondary-level co-op, they have implemented programs in wage solidarity and sexual harassment. They are shifting gender dynamics in the workplace, and this work has encouraged inclusion and leadership for women.

I travelled to the small community of San Cristobal to San Miguel Fique, a base-level co-op with 24 members, 8 of whom are women, to talk with women farmers and learn about their experiences being part of Norandino. We met with two women, each coincidentally named Flor; one has been with the co-op for 4 years, and the other for more than 2 decades. Each woman served on the board of directors at different times, and they find value in that shared experience.

As a founding member of the co-op, Santos Florentina (“Flor”) Lizana Laban is a leader in her community and has represented the organization at international forums, advocating for the benefits of fair trade and of belonging to a co-op. She values and learns from those around her, and credits the love and support from her husband.

Santos Florentina farms 5 acres, with 3 different coffee types—Typica, Catimore Cogello Verde, and Geisha—interlaced with shade and fruit trees. We munched on guaba fruit as we chatted and arrived at her small processing mill tucked behind her home. She said that ‘it was just the right size for one person to manage’. She walked us through how she processes her coffee, and the importance of each step: depulping, fermenting, and washing.

Santos Florentina is the mother of 2 children and is an entrepreneur. When she is not farming, she is sorting her green coffee, roasting it, and selling it locally. I was impressed to see the care she took to remove any defects before she roasted the coffee in a large ceramic bowl over the fire. She asked my opinion about the best roast level. While I advocated for a lighter roast, I encouraged her to talk to her customers and to see what popular brands around her were doing (that’s what I would do!). Santos Flor also proudly shared her work as a weaver, displaying vibrant and beautiful textiles that she weaves into bags, hammocks, and scarves.

Flor Violeta Yajahuanca Solís is a newer member of the co-op, and she serves on the regional board of directors. We chatted as she quickly stirred the fixins for a celebratory drink known as Ronpopo. As the mother of two, she and her husband farm about 2.5 acres of coffee with 3 varieties: Catimore, Gran Colombia, and Geisha.

She told me that she joined the co-op, “because my dad is a member and I always saw the results. I thought: ‘If my dad has earnings, sells his coffee, receives his rebate, and has his savings, I want that too.’ I wanted my work to be reflected in something positive.” It hasn’t always been easy for women to take on leadership roles, and she reflected on years past, “Yes, today it is a bit easier. According to what the founding members say, before it was more complicated and strict. Now the rules are more flexible and allow us to participate more at our own pace. Although of course, for a woman it is never easy to detach from home, especially when there are small children, but if you set your mind to it and have understanding with your partner, it can be achieved.”

“Thanks to that, today I am a director of the area. When they proposed the position to me, I didn't know how to say no. Here we are, in the struggle, coexisting with respect between men and women.”

Downloads

POS materials kit

Includes:

• Story PDF for Display (8.5" x 11")

• Bulk Coffee Bin Card - Square (3.75" x 4.125")

• Airpot Label (3" x 4")

• Social Media Kit

For more information about selling this coffee in your store or cafe, call (774) 776-7333

Organic Cold Brew

Ethiopia | D.R. Congo

Full City Roast

Fruity & Bright

Raspberry, Chocolate Ice Cream, Blueberry

Farmer Groups: Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union & SOPACDI

Origins: Ethiopia, D.R. Congo

Varietals: Bourbon, SL-14 & SL-28

Elevation: 1300-1888 MASL

This cold brew coffee blend was specifically designed to be smooth and chocolatey, but it also tells the story of co-ops in Africa that have formed a new bond across geographic and cultural borders. The origins of this blend are exquisite, each reaching elevations that surpass 1,500 MASL. On these high slopes, farmers work hard to cultivate great quality beans. In 2011, we began working with the small farmer co-op SOPACDI and were excited to introduce the US specialty market to coffee from the DRC. Beth Ann, our Quality Manager, noted that this young co-op didn’t have a cupper on staff, and she offered to help them find and train one. Over the last 2 and a half years, we have supported both this person and this vital function through training and crossborder exchanges with our producer partners in Ethiopia. Here is how that work has unfolded:

2012: Beth Ann travels to DRC to help identify a copper for SOPACDI: Dunia ‘Moises’ Muhindo.

2013: Moises travels by bus to Uganda to work on roasting and cupping with Beth Ann and Anne Marie, the cupper from Gumutindo co-op.

2014: Beth Ann returns to DRC to work with Moises on intermediate cupper training.

2015: Moises flies to Ethiopia to meet Mike, Equal Exchange’s Coffee Quality Coordinator for a 4-day seminar with Quality Manager Dame Regassa of Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union.

Printable PDF for display

How to Brew a Toddy

For more information about selling this coffee in your store or cafe, call (774) 776-7333