This October at TechnoServe, we’re celebrating a remarkable milestone: one million #coffee farmers trained. Since 2009, more than a million farmers across Africa, Latin America, and India have participated in our programs across 16 countries, representing over 660,000 coffee-growing households. Through practical, hands-on training, farming families are improving productivity, strengthening their businesses, and protecting their land for generations to come. Behind every number lies a story of rural men and women whose dedication, hard work, and willingness to learn have led to extraordinary change. “Without better coffee yields and a positive mindset, I don’t think I would be where I am now,” said Lubaba Mekonnen, a farmer from Ethiopia who increased her coffee income by 200% after participating in a #TechnoServe training program. She reinvested her profits to open a small retail shop, diversify her farm, build a new home, and send her children to university. Like Lubaba, there are 999,999 other stories of perseverance, growth, and opportunity.
Lubaba’s story, like so many I’ve heard directly from Ethiopian farmers, demonstrates the remarkable opportunity coffee provides to improve rural incomes and achieve resilient ecosystems. I'm thrilled to have been a part of this journey over the last 5 years and cannot wait for what comes next. Building on what we’ve learned from training the first million, we’re making our approach even more effective, efficient, and inclusive, so more coffee families can grow sustainable livelihoods.
Congratulations! In Colombia, we successfully innovated by combining WhatsApp and Google Meet to deliver online training programs. This approach allowed us to reach coffee growers in remote areas for the first time, offering courses on farm finance, coffee quality control, and leadership development for women coffee farmers.
I am truly grateful to have been part of this impactful journey in Ethiopia over the past 7 years. It has been an honor to contribute to these meaningful efforts as Senior Agronomy Advisor ,working alongside dedicated teams and partners to support smallholder farmers and promote sustainable coffee production. I look forward to continuing this mission — empowering farmers and advancing resilient, sustainable coffee production .
Wow! Congrats. It feels like yesterday, way back when it all started as a VolCon - Volunteer Consultant - during the launch of East Africa Coffee Initiative with the vision of reaching 1 million farmers trained and fast forward to today what’s now an amazing milestone. Thank you TechnoServe and congrats to all those who contributed to this achievement. Keep thriving and making a lasting impact and difference. Congrats again!
Talk about milestones! Incredible work by the entire TechnoServe team and a true mark of your vision and leadership Paul Stewart To think back to the days before the EACI to when you were working with small holders in rural Tanzania to what has been accomplished today. It is nothing short of amazing… Kudos!
Paul Stewart I'll never forget when we first crafted the strategy back in 2006 in Nairobi. Smartphones were not yet a thing, and the Nairobi coffee exchange was still analog! Incredible impact and commitment by you!
Congratulations!
We have done our part in the Democratic Republic of Congo, proud to have contributed to these efforts as an Agronomy Advisor Chansard Kizungu
Amazing progress Paul Stewart. This kind of impact plants the seeds for lasting change in both livelihoods and the environment.
Global Coffee Director at TechnoServe
1dLearn more about this milestone and how you can continue to support more farmers shaping the future of coffee: https://www.technoserve.org/one-million-coffee-farmers-trained/