Gender inequity is a problem every facet of the coffee supply chain faces. From farm level to importing to the cafe, the difference in both representation and pay between men and women (to speak nothing of issues gender-fluid individuals experience) are significant. But the Partnership for Gender Equity (PGE)โ€”an initiative created by the Coffee Quality Instituteโ€”has recently released a new tool called Project Methodology to โ€œenable industry allies to more effectively engage in gender equity.โ€

Officially released at World of Coffee in Amsterdam at the end of June, Project Methodology is technically the third tool from the PGE with such an aim, but could also be described as more of a synergy of the first two: the Common Measurement Framework (CMF) and the Engagement Guide. Created thanks to funding from the Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Environment (SAFE) Platform of the InterAmerican Development Bank, the Project Methodology โ€œdetails explanations that support companies, development organizations, and other supply chain partners as they design, plan, launch, and monitor a project at a household, community, and producer-organization level,โ€ per the press release.

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The CMF allows coffee industry actors to learn about gender differences in their origin and supply chain programs by integrating indicators that measure the conditions that inhibit full participation of both men and women, while maximizing effective performance of the coffee value chain. The Engagement Guide for Gender Equity in the Coffee Sector provides a roadmap and resources for industry actors to engage in conversations about gender equity, and to aid in identifying actions that will support gender equity in their own organizations and with supply chain partners.

Per the press release, the PGE plans to roll out this initiative in eight to 12 different field level projects across multiple origins, impacting an estimated 25,000 households and 100,000 individuals. They will then โ€œtrack the impact and compare results, with the intention to demonstrate the impact of integrating gender equity approaches to sustainability in the coffee value chain.

For more information about the Project Methodology tool, visit the Partnership for Gender Equity’s official website. And for those interested in receiving a copy, a request can be submitted here.

Zac Cadwaladerย is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas.ย Read more Zac Cadwaladerย on Sprudge.

Top image via the Partnership for Gender Equity.

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