Behmor and IWCA Team Up to Deliver Roasting and Brewing Equipment to Women Farmers

42 Behmor 1600 Plus Roasters and 21 Behmor Brazen Plus Coffeemakers will be delivered to IWCA chapters. Images courtesy of Behmor.

In collaboration with the nonprofit International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA), Nevada-based coffee roasting and brewing equipment manufacturer Behmor has pledged to donate equipment to reach female producers in 21 IWCA chapters throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia.

The donation — which includes labor, delivery costs and two Behmor 1600 Plus Roasters and one Behmor Brazen Plus Coffeemaker to representatives of each of the 21 chapters — is intended to help female producers address quality control in order to realize and improve the market value of their coffees. It is part of in the company’s ongoing Behmor Inspired initiative, which Behmor says has accounted for more than $160,000 worth of equipment donations to producers over the past 16 months.

Joe Behm (left) leading a demonstration of a Behmor 1600 Plus Roaster.

In an interview with Daily Coffee News last year, Behmor CEO and Founder Joe Behm described the initiative as born from a personal obligation to people working on the other end of the supply chain while coffee roasters and the consumer market in the United States have continued to thrive.

Working with the IWCA, Behmor noted in a press release issued yesterday the great disparity that often exists as women in coffee-producing countries may do a majority of the fieldwork, yet own a disproportionately small amount of the harvest.

“Joe [Behm] hopes to bring technology to the coffee producers so that they can learn the cup profile of the coffee they are producing,” IWCA Chapter Manager Bianca Castro said in a translated comment. “This has been the heart of his intentions when donating this equipment.”