Six million people work in the Kenyan coffee-growing industry, an industry regulated by a corrupt government auction system. The idea was to create fair international trade for even small and family-owned farms. However, because the industry has become so lucrative, given the delicious flavor and high demand of Kenyan coffee, small and family-owned farms are losing out.
Unlike Kenya, I’ve actually been into Kapchorwa and Mount Elgon of Uganda to see the local people growing, harvesting, drying, and selling the coffee along the roadside. The Uganda Coffee Development Authority was designed to foster the growth of a quality coffee industry there; whether or not the authority includes corruption is unknown. Since the early 1990s, the coffee industry of Uganda has been entirely in the private hands of almost 2.8 million people working in the industry.
If you’re a coffee lover then you’ll love this. Help the small farm families of East Africa by ordering 2 kilos (roughly 1 pound) of whole bean Kenyan or Ugandan coffee for $20 and I’ll hand deliver that coffee directly from the country of origin into your hands. Don’t worry, I’ll purchase the coffee for you just before I leave.
If you’d like some fresh East African coffee, just send me a note and I’ll give you more details.
In the mean time, check out these links for more information about the coffee industry in East Africa.