Our key focuses are:

Create opportunities for disadvantaged producers – the poverty rate in Gulmi is 25%. This is 10% higher than the national average

Gender equity and equal pay and opportunities – girls in Gulmi are at high risk of not attending school and the most marginalised and vulnerable groups in Nepal are single women and female-headed households. Nepal ranks 110 of 162 countries on the Gender Inequality Index. Integrating gender equality through a social inclusion approach is critical for women and girls, and the sustainability of the Nepalese coffee industry.

Train and empower women farmers – 90% of all farmers in Nepal are women, mostly smallholder farmers. However, only 26% hold decision-making positions, such as the manager or director of a company or a farm. Many Nepalese women still perform repetitive and labour-intensive activities without any proprietary, as well as run households and rear children. We help them to become cornerstones to the country’s coffee industry.

End child labour – ensure that the UN Convention on the Rights of the child is respected in the coffee industry in Nepal. Of the seven million children aged 5–17 in Nepal, 1.1 million (15.3%) are involved in child labour. In our province of Lumbini, 15.8% of children are labourers.

Provide good working conditions – all producers work in a healthy and safe environment.

Build capacity – develop the agricultural and business skills of producers and create trading opportunities.

Fair prices – ensure that all producers receive fair prices for their coffee cherries and/or parchment. Offer pre-harvest or pre-production advance payment to producers where possible.

Transparency and accountability – deal fairly and openly with trading partners.

Promote Fairtrade – share the Fairtrade ethos and tell customers where products come from.

Care for our environment – materials used in production and packaging do not damage the environment.