In the lush hills of Kericho County, Kenya, the Kabngetuny Farmers Cooperative Society weaves a unique tale of gender equality. Traditionally, land ownership in this area has belonged to men, but here, the male co-op members gifted 50 coffee seedlings and parcels of land to their wives. This groundbreaking move offered women both social and economic opportunities: a source of income and presence in the coffee co-op as official members.

Esther Koskei, a member of this co-op, vividly recalls the day she became an independent coffee farmer. She, along with other local women, received their coffee seedlings, marking a milestone in their lives. For the first time, these women owned something, and they were now independent coffee farmers, with the joys and challenges of being small business owners. 

As a Fairtrade co-op, Kabngetuny coffee farmers are guaranteed a minimum fair price for their delicious coffee. Additionally, an extra premium paid by &BACK for their coffee is re-invested in local communities to support infrastructure projects and programs for members.

In 2012,  Fairtrade partnered with Kabngetuny to launch the “Growing Women in Coffee” initiative. Since then, 296 biogas units have been installed in women farmer’s homes. These units, fueled by cow dung, help women in many ways. First, it eliminates the need for them to fetch firewood, which is a time-consuming and back-breaking task. Second, it improves the health of children in the homes by eliminating smoke inhalation from open fires. Finally, the bio-slurry byproduct serves as an organic fertiliser, reducing the need for chemicals and lessening the reliance on firewood, which helps preserve forests and combat climate change. Such programs help women save time and money, which is helpful to all mompreneurs!

Kabngetuny’s journey stands as a shining example of sustainable and successful farming, coupled with responsible and empowering coffee sourcing. Every cup of &BACK coffee supports these remarkable stories of change.