Gender diversity policy laid out in Uganda

USAID’s substantial investment into the Ugandan coffee sector is something that we at World Coffee Press towers have been keeping a close eye upon since the funding was initially announced.

It’s no secret that coffee is an extremely important commercial commodity to many nations that inhabit the bean belt, none more so that Uganda where the crop is the nation’s major foreign exchange earner. And so when harvests decrease or market prices fall, it isn’t just the coffee farmers that suffer – it’s the entire country.

Unfortunately, that’s what has been happening in Uganda recently: Coffee production and quality has stagnated.

But there are bigger problems, something which USAID’s money is going to help rectify.

A decent proportion of the money pledged will be channelled into a gender-based advocacy campaign that will hopefully help bring women to the fore of the industry.

“We have experienced challenges,” explains NUCAFE Chairman, Gerald SSendaula.

It is estimated that 70% of all smallholder farmers are either women or young adults who in many instances are now entitled or allowed to the fruits of their labour.

So how are they going to rectify this and bring about equality into large parts of the Ugandan farming sector?

NUCAFE hope that they’ll be able to reach out to some 20,000 households in twenty-two separate districts, according to their executive director Joseph Nkandu. By getting their message across to as wide an audience as possible, there’s an optimism that many will be receptive to the decree – especially as it comes from the national union.

The Daily Monitor, one of Uganda’s biggest media resources, has said that the ultimate aims of this gender diversity project are:

• To increase coffee production and productivity at farm levels in a sustainable manner.
• To support and strengthen participation across all levels of the growing, production and supply chains.
• Empower farmers and encourage more people to become involved in the process.