Women in Coffee: Meet Sarah Walker MSc

I work to improve Origin’s sustainability credentials and reduce any impact from our operation, which is largely directed by the companies Net Zero and B Corp commitments. It’s a really diverse role and involves a lot of collaboration across the whole business and supply chain.

My journey to Origin wasn’t a straightforward one. In 2019, after the IPCC report predicted the consequences of 1.5 degree global warming, I pivoted my career and retrained in sustainability. I studied at Exeter University and was so inspired by the work of course leaders who are in the field working globally to understand the effects of climate change on people, ecosystems and earths systems. It was a crash course in how interconnected everything is, and when I graduated, I knew that I wanted to make the biggest impact I could.

If I’m being honest, I didn’t know much about speciality coffee before joining Origin. I’ve always drunk my coffee black, and didn’t really know what made a good cup! But since joining Origin I’ve learned a lot, and what interests me most is the amazing potential that coffee has to combat climate change.

For instance, I recently learned that if all of Brazil were to adopt regenerative farming practices, the country’s coffee industry could sequester 1.5-2% of the carbon that the world needs to reach Net Zero (that's 600 million tonnes of carbon every year!). Coffee is a tree grown in the earth and can work in harmony with the surrounding environment if grown with thought and care. I really think that the speciality coffee industry could pave the way for other agricultural products and show that farming can support both people and the wider environment too.

There are a few, but I do feel that there’s a bit more balance than in some other industries I’ve worked in. I’ve never experienced outright, in-your-face sexism in coffee, however there’s an existing hierarchy that can limit my influence. I feel it much less than other women along the coffee supply chain though, as overall women do most of the labour but get the least benefit from the profits.

One observation that I have made is that women seem more naturally inclined towards business that benefits people and planet together. My biggest proponents and advocates are always women, and the work that women do on the farm, when they have control, is balanced more harmoniously. I would really love to see women lifted up to help our global society to achieve a just future for all. Let those with the instinct and inclination guide us in a direction that will ensure a better future for our descendants. Let’s stop making it about status, power, or money.

I’m really lucky that I’ve had plenty of female role models through my life, and now that I’m working in a field that’s dominated by women (sustainability), I’m gathering more and more as I go. I could name so many people that I’m inclined to state instead that women are often overlooked, and our society can be quick to limit their potential. All my role models have battled in some way against this.

The mistake we make is assuming the limitations of ‘women’. I apostrophise here thinking of the Disney ‘one size fits all’ image of a woman. Small, delicate, whimsical, helpless. Those with power often incorrectly assume what women are whilst also supporting the barriers that stunt their growth. Sadly, this often actualises their assumptions of women’s capabilities. We are held down by the whole system.

There’s no one ‘woman’; this gender is a rich tapestry of people who are ready to share their passion, experience and strength. Trailblazers may lift themselves over the glass ceiling, but those below are no less powerful, creative and ready to contribute towards something greater.

If you’re a person with power reading this, please remember not to judge a book by its cover, and advocate for those with less power than you. Their contribution will only lead to new perspectives and better things.