It might interest coffee lovers to know that their love for the drink is now going to help a million poor farmers across the continent. Thanks to the Kula Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to aid agricultural development in the developing countries.
Sarah Buchanan, the Kula Project co-founder and executive director says, “You can make this more personal. Yes, you drink this coffee every day, but it is also a huge human rights issue.”
The nonprofit organization has decided to team up with the coffee planters of Rwanda and Kenya in Africa in order to make it easier for them to take their coffee from the fields to the market by eliminating the hurdles and challenges they have to face. Even as they grow and trade in one of the most sought after commodities of the world, most of these farmers barely manage to make both ends meet.
The aim of the project is to do away with this disparity among the producers and sellers by involving the farmers in all the aspects of production, getting them in touch with the right people to make the most out their produce.
Within a span of two months the project has managed to raise funds amounting to $100,000 through private donors.
The donors don’t just raise money but will also have a chance to buy the coffee being grown under the project itself.
The Kula project is going to partner with roasters to create a private label that could help in a direct-to-consumer sale. This will not only give a sense of satisfaction to the farmers as well as the donors-consumers but will also keep the profits within the communities at origin, protecting the farmers against the middlemen.
