Dr Sarada Krishnan has been appointed the new Executive Director of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (ICWA).
Krishnan will oversee IWCA programs, fundraising, and events while ensuring organisational growth through strategic planning in her new role.
“Women are the backbone of a family and community. Empowering women will lead to positive change,” says Sarada Krishnan, IWCA Executive Director.
“I am thrilled to lead IWCA and contribute to empowerment of women in coffee by enabling success throughout the entire value chain through programs and partnerships.”
With a background in cultivation and coffee research, Krishnan studied a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Horticulture. She completed her doctorate research at the University of Colorado on conservation genetics of wild coffee found in Madagascar.
With experience serving local, national and international boards and committees, Krishnan has served on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Genetic Resources Advisory Council and was the chair of USDA’s Coffee and Cacao Crop Germplasm Committee.
Krishnan was also a board member and Vice President of Programs for the Women First International Fund, a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to empower women and girls in East Africa and India.
As a founding member of the IWCA Jamaica Chapter, she also owns coffee plantations in the Blue Mountains, Jamaica.
The ICWA seeks to empower women within the international coffee industry through supporting self-governing organisations called ICWA Chapters. Each of these chapters set and implement their own goals, with the IWCA Global Chapter Network functioning across 27 countries.
For information on IWCA please click here.
