Originally published on the Mandela Washington Fellowship website.

When 2017 Fellowship Alumnus Gerald Katabazi opened Volcano Coffee, his goals were simple: source, roast, brew, and sell quality, fair-trade coffee from Uganda to the world. Coffee is Uganda’s leading cash crop, but that statistic isn’t always felt by the farmers producing it.

Gerald has made it his mission to increase the profits that Ugandan coffee farmers see to improve their livelihoods and communities. Having had the opportunity to work in nearly every aspect of coffee production, from tilling the land to milling the beans to brewing coffee, he is confident that he knows just how to do that. As his business grows, Gerald is looking beyond the bean to capitalize on the benefits of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Continue reading on the Mandela Washington Fellowship website.