Welcome to the IWCA Family: Canada Becomes Our 37th Chapter

The global movement just grew stronger. IWCA Canada is here.

When Isabelle Huard started working in coffee at seventeen, she knew her path would run deep in this industry. Nearly a decade later, she and co-founders Muna Mohammed and Elsa Ouagmi—alongside Cheryl Hung and Cynthia Elie—aren't just talking about women's empowerment in Canadian coffee. They're building the infrastructure for it.

IWCA Canada launched this month as our 37th global chapter. That number matters. It represents twenty-five years of chapters learning from each other, supporting each other, building a network that turns individual struggle into collective power. And now Canada joins that conversation.

Here's why this chapter matters beyond the milestone.

A Bridge Between Markets and Origin

Canada is a major consuming market. Which means the Toronto roaster sourcing from Guatemala, the Vancouver buyer negotiating with Colombian cooperatives, the Montreal café owner choosing which farms to feature—they're making decisions every day that shape women's economic reality at origin.

IWCA Canada positions itself right at that intersection. Not as buyers doing charity. As professionals building genuine relationships across the value chain. The kind where a Canadian roaster can call a contact who can connect her directly to a woman farmer who needs market access.

Real relationships. Not transactions dressed up as empowerment.

Three Pillars, Built to Last

The founding team spent years laying groundwork before launching. Their strategy rests on three pillars:

Network development means creating space where the single barista working morning shifts can meet the green buyer who can introduce her to the roaster who's hiring. Inclusive partnerships. Strategic connections. Community that actually functions.

Education and capacity building means the professional learning that's usually gatekept—cupping protocols, quality assessment, contract negotiation—becomes accessible to women who haven't traditionally had access. Not inspirational content. Technical skills that translate to better jobs and higher pay.

Visibility and representation means the stories that matter get told. The buyer navigating trade floors where she's the only woman in the room. The roaster timing production runs between school pickup and close. The barista building competition skills on a student budget.

These aren't abstract values. They're operating principles for how this chapter will function.

What Isabelle Knows

"To me, IWCA Canada is more than a formality," Isabelle Huard says. "It is at the intersection of international cooperation, coffee excellence, and the most essential empowerment of women. This chapter proves that solidarity can redefine our industry, creating a space where women's talent and equity meet to build a fairer value chain."

She's right. And she's been proving it through a decade of event organizing, advocacy, and research before IWCA Canada even existed. That's the kind of foundation that lasts.

What This Means for All of Us

Canada's chapter expands what's possible in consuming markets. They're not just connecting to origin—they're addressing gender equity at home. Training. Mentorship. Visibility. The same empowerment model origin chapters use, applied to Canada's professional landscape.

And they're connecting Canadian professionals to a global network that's been building this movement for over two decades. Origin trips. Technical exchanges. Direct sourcing relationships. Advocacy that works because it's coordinated across borders.

The IWCA family now spans 37 chapters across six continents. From producing countries to consuming markets. From farmers managing cooperatives to buyers negotiating contracts to roasters building brands. All connected. All learning from each other.

Canada, welcome home. We've been waiting for you.

Connect with IWCA Canada:
Email: info@iwcacanada.org
Instagram: @iwca_canada
Facebook: IWCA Canada

Leadership:
Isabelle Huard (Co-Founder, President)
Muna Mohammed (Co-Founder, Vice President)
Elsa Ouagmi (Co-Founder, Treasurer)
Cheryl Hung (Secretary)
Cynthia Elie (Administrator)