Devoted to women of color in business

If you have heard of LOHAS or Cultural Creatives, then you probably know how quickly this market segment is growing. Women of color in business have great opportunities in this market. Take a look at how companies like Peet's are taking the lead in providing healthy choices to consumers like me (I want to know where my products come from and how my purchase makes a difference in the big picture.)

Peet's Coffee & Tea (PEET) which started in 1966 in Berkeley, California, is doing a great job of supporting women coffee growers in Nicaragua called "Las Hermanas."

Las Hermanas means "the sisters". This group of growers is part of the Soppexcca cooperative of farmers.

Peet's coffee buyer Shirin Moayyad wrote of her experience visiting Flora Montenegro, whose farm has produced three winners of the Nicaraguan "Cup of Excellence" competition for best coffee.

"Flora owns four hectares of land, half of which she was only able to purchase through financing made available by Soppexcca. She lives in a large, new house she built from the sale of her coffee and is recognized by her community as a true leader and inspiration....

"Flora is a perfect example of the empowerment that a well-run and successful co-op can bring. For the women of Las Hermanas, the negativity of Nicaragua's past is gone, replaced with dignity, a sense of pride, and control over one's own destiny. Peet's purchases of Las Hermanas has enabled women like Flora to invest back into their communities, protect their way of life for their families and improve it for the future."

When you buy something, you always have a choice. Do your research and take some time to find a woman who will benefit from your purchase!