Uganda Abakazi - Organic Coffee

Introducing “The Ladies' Lot” by Mountain Harvest, where we believe that gender inclusion is not only essential for impacting households but also a good business sense for coffee communities. Reports show that women often comprise up to 70 percent of the manual labor on coffee farms—planting, picking, processing, sorting—yet are far less represented in decision-making, trading, analysis, or business ownership. Therefore, to change the narrative of Ugandan coffee, we must change the lives of women within the coffee supply chain. We argue that women's involvement in coffee production and decision-making will increase productivity of the farm, quality of coffee, and bring wider interest in the coffees Mountain Harvest produces with smallholder farmers of Uganda.

In 2022, we launched a Gender Inclusion Strategy in partnership with a local nonprofit partner to promote economic growth in rural Ugandan communities. Our fourfold strategy includes advocating for gender equality within our staff, providing equity technical training, promoting community-driven initiatives, and empowering women through access to financial resources. Our staff, hailing from the communities we serve, uniquely translates this strategy to their communities.