Seasonal coffee

Each winter we release FESTIVE SPIRIT. A coffee blend inspired by the progressive warmth, kindness and togetherness of the season. We partner with community and purpose-driven producers to help bring this spirit to life, in and out of your cup.

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Meet our growers

This year's Christmas blend brings together two remarkable female-led coffee producers: Donas do Café in south-eastern Brazil and Rebuild Women’s Hope in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

From Brazil, the coffee comes from two family-owned, women-led farms – Sitio Sao Jao and Sitio Maranhao. Both are contributing farms to the Donas do Café project, which champions and brings visibility to the women working, and often leading, in several coffee farms within SMC coffee cooperative.

Across the continent in DRC, Rebuild Women's Hope was founded in 2013 by Marceline Budza with a mission to empower the often marginalised women of rural DRC through financial autonomy, gained by producing coffee.

Donas Do CafÉ, Brazil

Sourced from Brazil, the coffee comes from two family-owned farms, Sitio Sao Joao and Sitio Maranhao, both part of the Donas do Café project. Translating as 'the women owners of coffee', Donas Do Café project was set up in 2020 by SMC cooperative. The concept was simple: to show women that the tasks often viewed as 'helping' their husbands, partners or family were, in fact, critical contributors to the quality of the coffee. Here the women are presented and recognised for their fundamental contribution, especially regarding the processing skills needed to effectively produce high-quality speciality-grade coffee.

Meet Helena

Helena Bachiao Dolivo is from Sitio Sao Joao farm, a key contributor to Donas Do Café. She's a 'formidable force' on her family’s third-generation coffee-growing fazenda.

Responsible for the post-harvest processing and quality, Dona Helena says women are in charge of the quality practices as they take great care in the attention to detail needed to consistently and reliably produce the best quality coffee.

Testament to this ethos, they have grown a reputation for consistency and the farm has won 1st place in SMC’s Especialissimo programme 3 years running.

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Meet the Betti family

Sitio Maranhao is a 10 hectare fazenda located on the hillside overlooking the family homes. Jair Betti’s father bought the land when he was just 10 years old and today, although much bigger, the farm remains just as much a family affair.

Clieissimara and Jessica, Jair's daughter-in-laws, run the coffee drying patios and all post-harvest processing of the coffee, which according to Jair has been the area of most advancement for the farm.

The women have developed a system that allows them precise control over the critical drying process on this natural-only farm, resulting in a characterful and high-quality coffee.

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Rebuild Women’s Hope, DRC

Established by Marceline Budza in 2013, Rebuild Women’s Hope (RWH) Cooperative’s mission is to empower the often marginalized women of rural DRC through financial autonomy, gained by producing coffee. As well as supporting the female farmers in coffee-growing practices, the cooperative runs education programs on gender equality, financial literacy and supplementary income-generating skills for their members. Beyond the coffee cooperative, RWH works within the wider community to bring better healthcare to the island. In 2020, Mozzo worked with RWH to fund and build a maternity clinic for the community. This year, we’ve been raising $60k to extend the hospital provision so more lives can be improved and saved.

Meet Marcelina Budza

The youngest of four daughters, Marceline was raised by her single mother in Bukavu, DRC. Witnessing the drastic gender inequality in her country, and inspired by her mother’s fortitude and resilience selling pineapples and coffee to fund her and her sister's schooling, Marceline had a huge drive to empower DRC women from a young age.

In 2013 she set up RWH. Traditionally, women worked in the farms however, men took the payment and decided how the income was spent – often with little benefit to the family, and community.

RWH seek to change that and support their 3000+ members (70% female) across 4 coffee-washing stations on the south of the Idjwi Island. The natural coffee used in our FESTIVE SPIRIT blend is from the female-led community at Boza washing station.

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