120. Catching Up with Dehab Mesfin Bitewlign

This year on Dehab Mesfin Bitewlign's farm in Ethiopia's Keffa zone of the South West People's

Dehab with the mother-tree of Arabica

Region, there's a new project underway to increate productivity with regenerative agriculture. Preserving the rainforest that surrounds her farm was one of the key factors that attracted Bitewlign away from the "safe" world of business accounting, and into the risky world of coffee farming. In 2014-2015 she began 100% management of the 330 hectare farm, of which she owns 27% of the land, her husband owning the rest.

In April 2025 Ruth Ann had a long call with Dehab. Initially the topic of the call was about Dehab's banks because we had issues with banks in 2024. But as the call went on, I learned more about why Dehab is using the bank she's using. It's a story that could be the story of many coffee farmers. I'll recount the key points as well as I can.

Productivity is the Key: When Dehab has hired advisors to evaluate her farm, they say farm management could be improved, but first she must increase productivity. They say her productivity of 750 kg cherry / ha is very low, (the equivalent of ~ 120 kg green /ha.) Productivity levels of 500 - 1000 kg cherry / ha are common for traditional, low input methods, but Dehab isn't thinking about average statistics. She says, "I can sell 1 - 2 containers per year. This is not enough to cover costs. Remember I told you how the workers come to my office and say I must increase salaries 25% or they'll go elsewhere?" That's the direct pressure Dehab feels to increase productivity.

But how? The experts who give her advice usually recommend buying artificial fertilizers. But this isn't the way Dehab wants to go. She would like to continue farming without adding chemicals to the soil. She's hired an agronomy expert who is going to help her develop a natural composting program. (I love this, as it sounds a lot like the Soil Food Web program we facilitated in Rwanda back in 2018 with huge support from Blueprint Coffee Roasters.) Dehab's expert has experience with worms (vermiculture) and bio-char. These two practices are well-proven to improve soil health for coffee when managed well. The expert seems eager to work with Dehab and show how these techniques will boost tree productivity, but he warns that it will take time. Probably 2 - 3 years are needed for the soils to improve and significant increases in kilograms per hectare to appear.

Dehab (in white cap) at her farm's drying tables.

Dehab's Dedication: Dehab definitely has the passion for sustaining a long-term effort like this. When Ruth Ann visited her farm in 2023, Dehab seemed to glow with excitement as she toured our group to see the forest and her farm. She is a genuine fan and protector of the UNESCO Biosphere (protected forest) that surrounds her land. She took us to an area of the farm that she intentionally leaves alone for the birds and trees to grow "wild". She's preserving habitat for plants and animals.

The Bank's Role in the Equation: Dehab was sold-out of her coffee in 2024 and again in 2025. Finding buyers doesn't seem to be the problem, although she says in today's high-priced market, it can be a challenge. She must continue to show strong sales to the bank she's worked with the longest, so that they will extend a loan that can finance her 2 - 3 year sustainability project on her farm. Dehab thanks each of the roasters who support her, and therefore the land and the rainforest in Kaffa, Ethiopia. 

96. Coronavirus and Coffee: Interviews with Ten Coffee Farmers in Rwanda

May 6, 2020

Ejo Heza members harvesting in April 2017

Artisan Coffee Imports builds relationships with coffee farmers by listening to them. Harder than one might think, but it is truly powerful when it happens. Two weeks ago we arranged for a short survey-style interview with ten of the Ejo Heza farmers who produce Artisan's flagship imported coffee. Ejo Heza is a group of female farmers formed in 2011 with the support of their parent cooperative, Kopakama, in the Rutsiro district of Rwanda's Western Province. Over the years, the group has grown from 200 to 400 members. They have two community plots which they cultivate together, and each member also has coffee trees at home.

In nine of the ten interviews, the farmers said that labor was an issue, either paying for it, or finding it, or both. This is the main "finding" related to Coronavirus. To skim the actual farmer comments, see below.

It's important to note the context of these interviews. They were conducted:

Grace Izerwe - Quality Control Intern

• By phone by Grace Izerwe, Kopakama's Quality Control Intern, who is also a trained researcher, trained coffee cupper, roaster and barista, and holds a B.S. in Rural Development and Agribusiness from the University of Rwanda.
• During peak season, meaning the height of the harvest, when farmers are likely going to the coffee plots several times a week or daily to harvest cherry. Most likely they are using every able-bodied person in their household to help with the harvest, and hiring 'daily workers'.

Of further note:

• There tends to be a "going rate" for daily labor in rural areas of Rwanda. Today the average daily rate is 1000 Rwf per day, (around $1.10) for someone to work from about 7am to 5pm.
• The short survey was gathering feedback on two topics, the new "300 Club" started this year by Kopakama and the impact of Coronavirus on the farmers themselves. Here we will share about the coronavirus impacts and a future blog will discuss the 300 Club.
• Labor is the most important component of cost of production probably in all coffee producing countries, but even more than some in Rwanda. Labor was estimated to be 75% of total cost of production in a study with data collected in 2015. (Click here for the study by Ruth Ann Church.) Of total labor, harvesting accounts for 36% of costs. 

Take-away: don't be fooled by what may seem like low-cost labor. It is a huge part of the farmer's budget and therefore doubling it, as appears to be the case for Rwanda's farmers, is going to have a likewise dramatic impact.

Ejo Heza farmer checks the quality of a coffee tree.

(Names have been changed to maintain anonymity.)

1. Epiphanie: "The stay home period is preventing us from harvesting as usual.  Since we are respecting the distancing (1m) between workers, I hire less workers than needed." (245 trees; 9 years as a member of Ejo Heza; 4 children.)

2. Floride: "The stay home period is affecting me in ways of hiring more workers because I have to pay workers the same daily salary as if they have worked the whole day." (1800 trees; 2 years as a member of Ejo Heza; 3 children.)

3. Perpetue: "The stay home period is affecting me in harvesting because before I would use 4 workers and now I am using 2 workers because you cannot find those casual laborers to help you. People are staying at home. This means those 2 available workers spend much time in harvesting. Sometimes they do not even finish the harvest of the good cherries before the delivery time set by the buyers." (660 trees; 3 years as a member of Ejo Heza; 0 children.)

4. Clementine: "It is not easy with the distancing instructions of allowing only 2 people harvesting on 1 coffee tree at the same time." (1008 trees; 6 years as a member of Ejo Heza; 3 children.)

Ejo Heza members sort cherry at the washing
station - April 2017

5. Adele: "The challenge is that I can’t afford to protect my workers with masks or hand sanitizers." (670 trees; 9 years as a member of Ejo Heza; 6 children.)

6. Seraphine: "I used to sell banana wines in bars, but now now they are closed. So it is not easy to get money to pay workers for the harvest during this lockdown." (500 trees; 4 years as a member of Ejo Heza; 5 children.)

7. Julienne: "The distancing and use of less workers is affecting me particularly as a site collector. Due to the distancing requirement, I am not allowed to get close to the farmers to work together with them on checking the cherries which they have delivered.  This takes me more time and makes some losses when I am sorting alone with workers while farmers have already gone back home. The other challenge is the sanitary and hygiene requirements. I have to always buy hand sanitizers, soaps and water to make sure everyone arriving at the site is safe from the coronavirus." (1030 trees; 4 years as a member of Ejo Heza; 4 children.)

8. Beatrice: "As many businesses closed, we are not able to invest in harvesting because we lack money to pay workers in this period of lockdown." (315 trees; 4 years as a member of Ejo Heza; 2 children.)

9. Peruth: "This lockdown is challenging me in hiring workers. Many are staying home and the available ones cost much money for harvesting." (1500 trees; 3 years as a member of Ejo Heza; 0 children.)

Those are the comments about the labor challenge. A comment during the interview from our tenth participant references a challenge unrelated to COVID:

10. Dorthee: "It is really hard in this period of rain sometimes. You can’t harvest due to heavy rains and you have to go the following day to pick the specialty coffee." (800 trees; 3 years as a member of Ejo Heza; 2 children.)

To learn more about how Rwanda's coffee sector is faring in during the pandemic, head over to our other blog, Artisan Coffee in N. America, by clicking here.

74. IWCA Invited to Present at Cote D'Ivoire ICO Statistics Meeting

Sep. 25, 2017
In his opening speech at the 2017 IWCA Convention, Jose Sette, the new Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO) communicated that ICO members should not only improve their capacity to provide employment data on men and women, but also recognize the strong contributions of women.

The ICO is considering new rules for the member countries' submissions of data. Currently, countries submit data focused solely on production: kilograms, bags and beans. On September 25, IWCA was invited to present at a special meeting of the ICO Statistics Committee in Cote d'Ivoire.  The narration of IWCA's presentation to ICO members is available on the IWCA You Tube Channel, or click on the link below.

54. Ejo Heza Women Experiment to Grow Margins

May 26, 2016

Ejo Heza representatives L to R: Bernadette, cell leader; Therese, president; Olive, coop advisor.

On May 26 I had the opportunity to make an interesting visit to the women's cooperative, Ejo Heza, which is part of KOPAKAMA in Rwanda's Rutsiro district, Western Province. They are running an experiment on new ways to mulch and weed. For mulching, they are doing "targeted mulching" and for weeding, they are experimenting with cutting the weeds and leaving the weed cuttings on the ground instead of uprooting weeds and carrying them away.

These are two "time-saving" ways of doing mulching and weeding. The women report they had higher profits from coffee in 2015 after they started these methods in their experimental field in January 2015. They have a "control" field next to their experimental field and they are monitoring how well the "targeted mulch + weeds-left-on-the-ground" methods are working.

Plot of experimental trees for the women's cooperate Ejo Heza.

Targeted mulching and "easy" weeding experiment.

A row of trees in experimental field.

Agronomist Gervais KAYITARE stands between two plots - the control (L) and the experiment (R).

34. Field Notes 11: Women in Coffee in Rwanda -- Leading in the Office and on the Farm

May 27, 2015
It would be hard to capture all that I learned about gender issues and the important roles women are playing in coffee in Rwanda. Rather than try and bore everyone with a not-fully-thought-out conclusion, I will just share the laundry list of women and programs I encountered and let you begin to draw your own conclusions and ask new questions.

Women Leading Companies in Rwanda:

1. Immy KAMARADE - Managing Director, Kirisimbi Coffee
2. Epiphane MUKASHYAKA (and her son) - Owner, BUF Coffee
3. Maggie UMIMBABISA (and her daughter) - Managing Director, Sacof
4. Angelique KAREKEZI - Managing Director, Rwashoscco
5. Therese Karitanyi - General Manager, Agropharm - now AgroPy
6. Ramya Waran, Director of Operations, KZ Noir
7. Anne Marie KANTENGWA, CEO, Hotel Chez Lando 

Women Farmers:
6 of my 10 interviews were with women farmers. I also got to meet the wife of the farmer I interviewed at GIFT washing station and the two women at BUF who were interviewed by my partner, Grace. Altogether got to talk with 8 or 9 female farmers. Each of these women are business owners and managers, too -- they are in the farm business.

1. Shy female farmer interviewed near BUF
2. Female picker near Rutasira (built a house by saving her wages for a season)
3. Huye Mtn "mom" with 5 kids
4. Farm mom with bad foot
5. Wife & mom in the "collector couple"
6. Farmers/pickers (2) near Kigufi

Programs:
Sustainable Harvest - Bloomberg -- building washing stations for women's cooperatives and providing a year-long training and leadership program.
Abakundekawa -- has a women's program where the women grow and sell, and keep the profits from, their coffee trees.

Government and Academia:

• University of Rwanda also has launched a new masters program on gender-sensitive Agri-business.  Both men and women can apply. The first 40 students are starting Fall 2015.
• Gerardine Mukeshimana is Rwanda's new Minister of Agriculture

19. IWCA Event1: Launch of the new IWCA Research Alliance sub-committee

Kick-off meeting of the IWCA Research Alliance at SCAA 2015 - planning a strategy for reducing the gender data gap in coffee

Top: 8 volunteers from around the world meet to discuss IWCA response to Gender Data Gap (not pictured, Mark Inman and Ruth Ann Church).
Bottom (L to R): Daniele Giovannucci (COSA), Mark Inman (Olam and IWCA board member), Marcus Young (Sustainable Harvest/Bloomberg grant program in Rwanda), Adam Wilson (formerly ThriveSupply), Ruth Ann Church (Artisan Coffee Imports), Julenia Maria Lopes da Silva (Brazilian coffee producer), Blanca Castro (ITC consultant/Damos), not pictured, Dr. Norbert Wilson (Auburn University)

April 17, 2015
On April 10 at the SCAA in Seattle, eight volunteers were able to gather to discuss how IWCA might address the Gender Data Gap in coffee -- specifically to decide whether to address the topic: "how many women are there in coffee?"  As co-chair of the IWCA Research and Education Relations Committee, Ruth Ann Church convened the group with the objective to address this "number of women" question for each country where IWCA has a chapter.

Each representative first shared from their own experience what activities they were involved in related to women in coffee. Then, Daniele Giovannucci, as founder of the Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA, www.thecosa.org), provided invaluable insights that the committee welcomed. COSA has been managing international data collection that has scientific integrity from coffee producers around the world for over 5 years and Daniele brings a career of experience from the United Nations and other multi-lateral organizations.  And yet, even he admits, his data is inadequate to estimate the number of women in coffee in the countries where COSA has worked. This fact alone tells volumes about how challenging this effort is, why it has not been done yet, and why it will take some time to change this situation.

Outcomes from the meeting can be summarized as follows:
1. Estimates not "exact numbers". The experience around the table confirmed that when discussing numbers of coffee households, numbers of men and women in coffee -- every group today is using estimates, and sometimes quite poor ones. So we should not expect to achieve exact numbers for women. Rather, our objective is to determine "credible estimates."

2. An IWCA program - The 1 hour discussion outlined three plausible, but different, directions the committee might go.
A. Ask In-country Institutions - ask the in-country institutions that already collect coffee-related data, such as agricultural extension agencies, universities, research centers, producer associations (like FNC), etc. Ask them for their best estimates of the number of women in coffee in their country.
B. Write Case Studies -- address the issue through case studies on a country-by-country basis. This would be more of a story-telling approach. By outlining the difficulty in understanding the "number of women" in coffee in a particular country, the broader situation and cultural context of women and their role in coffee would also be described.
C. Partner with an NGO - groups like the gender group at the United Nations or a university center, such as the William Davidson Institute were mentioned.

The committee's leadership will review the options and begin moving forward with one. Look for future updates here and on the IWCA website: www.womenincoffee.org.