We fund organizations implementing impactful projects in coffee-growing communities in Ethiopia and Uganda – regions where millions of farmers face significant challenges, yet hold tremendous potential to increase their yields and incomes.
We select our partners based on their capacity to learn, adapt, and expand their impact – for the benefit of coffee-growing communities and the broader coffee sector.
We fund organizations implementing impactful projects in coffee-growing communities in Ethiopia and Uganda – regions where millions of farmers face significant challenges, yet hold tremendous potential to increase their yields and incomes.
We select our partners based on their capacity to learn, adapt, and expand their impact – for the benefit of coffee-growing communities and the broader coffee sector.
Project funding in Eastern Africa
Why smallholder coffee farmers, and why in Ethiopia and Uganda?
Because this is where the potential for impact is greatest. Smallholder farmers produce 60% of the world’s coffee but face various challenges. Many of them are not able to earn a living or even live below the poverty line. Ethiopia and Uganda are home to one-third of the world’s coffee farmers, most of them smallholders, offering a unique opportunity to drive change a scale.
Even modest increases in income can lead to meaningful and lasting improvements in people’s lives.
Source: Panhuysen, S. and Pierrot, J. (2020). Coffee Barometer 2020. Philadelphia, PA: Ethos Agriculture.
Why smallholder coffee farmers, and why in Ethiopia and Uganda?
Because this is where the potential for impact is greatest. Smallholder farmers produce 60% of the world’s coffee but face various challenges. Many of them are not able to earn a living or even live below the poverty line. Ethiopia and Uganda are home to nearly one-third of the world’s coffee farmers, most of them smallholders, offering a unique opportunity to drive change a scale.
Even modest increases in income can lead to meaningful and lasting improvements in people’s lives.
Panhuysen, S., and Pierrot, J. (2020). Coffee Barometer 2020. Philadelphia, PA: Ethos Agriculture.
Our Portfolio
As HereWeGrow, we fund direct projects, sector and research work.
We put the majority of our funding into direct projects implemented on the ground in coffee communities. Why?
First, this is where impact comes to life. Second, direct projects build the basis for replicating and scaling what works – essential pillars of our strategy.
Direct Projects
ACHIEVING MEASURABLE INCOME IMPROVEMENTS
Small-scale farmers play a crucial role in the coffee supply chain, but face significant barriers to economic stability.
To unlock their economic potential in coffee and beyond, we fund innovative project approaches that train, fund and equip farmers to enable them to improve their income.
HereWeGrow funded projects are rigorously evaluated by independent research organizations to build evidence and generate learnings. You can find out more in our strategy.
Small-scale farmers play a crucial role in the coffee supply chain, but face significant barriers to economic stability.
To unlock their economic potential in coffee and beyond, we fund innovative project approaches that train, fund and equip farmers to enable them to improve their income.
HereWeGrow funded projects are rigorously evaluated by independent research organizations to build evidence and generate learnings. You can find out more in our strategy.
Explore our work
Making coffee farmers more prosperous, food secure, and climate resilient
WHERE
UGANDA, Central
WHO
OneAcreFund & Laterite
WHEN
2024 – 2027
GOal
Increase income, food security, and climate resilience
REACH
32.980 households
Pathways out of poverty
WHERE
UGANDA, Central
WHO
Raising the Village & Laterite
WHEN
2024 – 2026
GOal
Increase household income and production
REACH
27.600 households
Improving incomes of coffee farmers in Jimma
WHERE
ETHIOPIA, Jimma Zone
WHO
Digital Green & IFPRI
WHEN
2023 – 2027
GOal
Increase coffee farmers’ income through digital solutions
REACH
34.000 households
MEET OUR PARTNERS
We do not implement projects ourselves. Instead, we rely on the localized expertise of our partners on the ground.
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS
RESEARCH PARTNERS
Sector work
CATALYZING IMPACT IN THE COFFEE SECTOR
The coffee sector must live up to its responsibilities. At HereWeGrow, we aim to act as a catalyst for effective sector investment. We strive to facilitate meaningful data and tools that the sector needs to make more informed decisions.
By providing actionable insights, we pave the way for companies to better target their sustainability investments. This helps farmers – and at the same time, businesses that can better meet compliance, environmental and social responsibility standards, creating a win-win situation for both businesses and communities.
The coffee sector must live up to its responsibilities. At HereWeGrow, we aim to act as a catalyst for effective sector investment. We strive to facilitate meaningful data and tools that the sector needs to make more informed decisions.
By providing actionable insights, we pave the way for companies to better target their sustainability investments. This helps farmers – and at the same time, businesses that can better meet compliance, environmental and social responsibility standards, creating a win-win situation for both businesses and communities.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
UNDERSTANDING IMPACT FACTORS
Which agronomic practices lead to which yield effects on the coffee farm?
What expenses and investments does a Ugandan coffee farmer make over the course of a year?
How different are the household profiles of farmers in Ethiopia and what are their needs and objectives?
And why is it so crucial to understand how these effects relate?
Research starts with questions.
That’s how we build a solid foundation for our funding decisions. By asking questions, running dedicated research projects and supporting studies, we can better understand the underlying assumptions and pathways that lead to change.
Rather than just looking for good stories and big numbers, we fund research that fills knowledge gaps and refines existing methods. Because that’s what it’s all about: learning, refining strategies, replicating what works, and scaling impact, again and again.
Which agronomic practices lead to which yield effects on the coffee farm?
What expenses and investments does a Ugandan coffee farmer make over the course of a year?
How different are the household profiles of farmers in Ethiopia and what are their needs and objectives?
And why is it so crucial to understand how these effects relate?
Research starts with questions.
That’s how we build a solid foundation for our funding decisions. By asking questions, running dedicated research projects and supporting studies, we can better understand the underlying assumptions and pathways that lead to change.
Rather than just looking for good stories and big numbers, we fund research that fills knowledge gaps and refines existing methods. Because that’s what it’s all about: learning, refining strategies, replicating what works, and scaling impact, again and again.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
UNDERSTANDING IMPACT FACTORS
Which agronomic practices lead to which yield effects on the coffee farm?
What expenses and investments does a Ugandan coffee farmer make over the course of a year?
How different are the household profiles of farmers in Ethiopia and what are their needs and objectives?
And why is it so crucial to understand how these effects relate?
Research starts with questions.
That’s how we build a solid foundation for our funding decisions. By asking questions, running dedicated research projects and supporting studies, we can better understand the underlying assumptions and pathways that lead to change.
Rather than just looking for good stories and big numbers, we fund research that fills knowledge gaps and refines existing methods. Because that’s what it’s all about: learning, refining strategies, replicating what works, and scaling impact, again and again.
What we measure determines what we do.
Josef Stiglitz
We believe that if we focus on providing answers to major industry challenges, we can be a spark that leads to a transformation in the sector.
Curious to learn more about our data-driven and evidence-based approach?
WHAT’s GROWING ON
VISIT OUR BLOG
Together, let’s share our resources and lessons learned, and scale our impact with evidence.
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