INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY
Meet Lucy.
Lucy has been working in the coffee industry for over eighteen years, beginning as a barista and working her way through the ranks. She joined ST. ALi ten years ago to lead the green buying and quality assurance programs and has since morphed her role into also incorporating factory operations.
Having traveled to a wide range of producing countries over the years, she has been lucky enough to work side by side with many coffee producers and gain an understanding of the challenges that they face in today's volatile market. This understanding forms the core of her work towards creating holistic relationships and driving impactful changes in producing countries.
Have you faced challenges as a woman in coffee?
Personally, I haven’t experienced significant challenges, but I recognise that female coffee producers face major hurdles.
In many coffee-growing regions, particularly in Latin America, the coffee industry is reliant on the work of women, but often that work goes unrecognised. Females often struggle to gain respect or decision-making power. That said, there are inspiring exceptions; for example, ASMUCAFE in Colombia is a cooperative of female farmers and landowners whose mission is to work collaboratively to bring improvements to their communities.
In Africa, women contribute the lion's share of labour but also do not receive recognition. Traditional gender roles and biases in coffee producing regions globally more often than not, prevent women from fully participating.
“My advice? Have a crack, don’t be shy. Back yourself, speak up, and don’t wait for permission.”
How are you navigating the recent surge in coffee prices?
We’re getting creative with sourcing, moving beyond the usual regions and exploring opportunities in Asia Pacific. This shift excites me because I have been on the journey to source more coffee closer to home for a while and this just fast tracks that. However, it comes with its own challenges - these regions are newer to the global coffee trade compared to established giants like Brazil and Colombia.
Brazil and Colombia have well-developed processing infrastructure, trading networks, and export systems built over centuries. In contrast, newer regions are still developing in all aspects of the industry and have not established themselves yet as rivals to Latin America and Africa. But that’s also what makes it exciting - it pushes us to build stronger relationships with farmers and work collaboratively to refine processes.
What are your predictions for the coffee industry in the next year?
The industry is in a dynamic and shifting phase, and we’re going to see some astronomical changes. Since COVID, the way people drink coffee has evolved, and with inflation, we’ve seen even more shifts in consumer habits.
The younger generation is obsessed with iced coffee - will that trend evolve further, or will rising coffee prices push them toward other beverages?
The divide between everyday coffee and ultra-specialty coffee is growing and will continue to widen. This trend has been in motion for years.
Climate change is shifting where coffee is grown, with new producing regions emerging. While in the short-term this means more unpredictability, it also introduces exciting opportunities to shape the future of coffee sourcing.
What’s your ethos when it comes to sourcing?
It’s simple: good coffee by good people. We want to ensure we’re working with ethical producers and always striving to be better.
“It’s a continuous journey of improvement - better sourcing, better relationships, and better coffee.”
