FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact | Alexandra Katona-Carroll Organization| Coffee Quality Institute Phone | 562.901.3166 Email | akatona@coffeeinstitute.org Website | www.coffeeinstitute.org Uganda Workshop Crystallizes New Perspectives on Gender Equity and Opportunities for Change Industry Partner Blue Bottle Coffee Makes Investment in Local Community Portland, OR (March 10) – International industry representatives joined local coffee producers last month at Gumutindo Coffee Cooperative in Mbale, Uganda to explore realities and opportunities in gender equity. The program, one of a series of workshops held as part of the Coffee Quality Institute’s (CQI) Partnership for Gender Equity (PGE), generated new ideas and visions for the future among producer participants. It also spawned a new partnership between CQI and Blue Bottle Coffee, and a targeted investment of USD $2500 was committed by Blue Bottle as a direct result of the workshop. Blue Bottle’s investment will help provide better access to health services, specifically for women who live in the very high-altitude, remote villages of Bunabude and Nasufwa, where Blue Bottle purchases coffee. Due to the isolation of these communities, women are greatly underserved in access to healthcare, explained Jennifer Wetaka, chairwoman of Bunabude who attended the workshop. The new investment, spurred by Blue Bottle’s participation in the workshop, underscores the value of industry dialogue, especially when linked to gender equity. Stephen Vick from Blue Bottle comments, “Blue Bottle has been working with the Gumutindo Cooperative for three years now and we have been continually impressed by their transparency, commitment to quality, and especially, their focus on gender equality. This year, as a result of [CQI’s] workshop, we learned a little bit about what these communities will need to realize a better gender balance in the next five years. Blue Bottle’s staff, along with our guests, are excited to see the impact this investment will have and how we can collectively make an impact in the future.” At the workshop, each of the 50 male and female participants from the farming community and international visitors shared their views and hopes for the future. “Having a safe space to reveal these sentiments and explore new possibilities is at the heart of the gender equity workshops,” notes Kimberly Easson, CQI’s vice president for strategic partnerships and gender program advisor. “Our goal is to
enable a vision for a new kind of future—one that includes men and women as equal partners.” The program also included a farm visit for international participants, along with a training for the producer attendees that involved a tasting with Stephen Vick. In addition to two company representatives from Blue Bottle, industry participants also included representatives from Falcon Coffees, Mars Drinks, and Salt Spring Coffee. PGE’s next and final workshop of the research stage will take place in Takengon, Indonesia, May 24 – 27. CQI invites all interested industry representatives to learn more and to register at www.coffeeinstitute.org For additional information, or to learn about becoming a partner, please contact Kimberly Easson at keasson@coffeeinstitute.org. -------------------------------------------------------------------About CQI The Coffee Quality Institute® (CQI) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization working internationally to improve the quality of coffee and the lives of the people who produce it. The Partnership for Gender Equity is a collaborative research initiative spearheaded by CQI to better understand the effects of gender inequality in the coffee sector and develop industry best practices that support gender equity in the coffee supply chain. Founding Partners for the initiative to date include development agency ACDI/VOCA, Amfotek, Mars Drinks and Falcon Coffees. Contact for Partnership for Gender Equity: keasson@coffeeinstitute.org About Blue Bottle Coffee Blue Bottle Coffee is united by the simple purpose of getting great coffee to everyone who asks for it. Press contacts for Blue Bottle Coffee: press@bluebottlecoffee.com abby@bluebottlecoffee.com