THE FARM: In Swahili, usawa means balance and kahawa means coffee. The Usawa Kahawa Project is all about gender equality, and was established in 2021 with the goal of making sure women are involved in farming coffee and bringing it to market. Its two main pillars are 1) empowering gender champions and gender action learning systems and 2) growing coffee production in Tanzania through training women and establishing new farms. The project works with the Hezya Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS) in the Mbozi region of Tanzania. AMCOS manage 95% of the country’s coffee production, and smallholders must be registered to an AMCOS to qualify for support in production, processing, storage, transport, marketing, and government aid. Without membership, their raw green coffee would have no way of reaching the global market. The Hezya AMCOS that produced this lot is made up of nearly 300 smallholders with <1 hectare farms at altitudes of 1600 meters above sea level.

In addition to agricultural training, the producers who are part of the Usawa Kahawa Project are also trained on the importance of gender equity within the family for coffee production and distribution of finances. Much of the training is led by gender champions who live within the AMCOS communities. Within the Hezya AMCOS, gender champions initiated the Shamba Darasa Model Farm to showcase better agricultural practices and lead by example.

OUR ROAST has a variety of flavors that come together and deliver undertones of dark chocolate and amber. The cup is gentle with tart acidity and a full, syrupy body. This fruit-driven coffee would easily work as a single-origin option on the espresso bar.

*** All prices are per pound ***