KAMPALA, Uganda – Gorilla Conservation Coffee Saving gorillas – one sip at a time Gorilla Conservation Coffee was founded on the belief that conservation will succeed when communities are involved.
We strive to provide alternative income streams and markets for the local farmers through training them to improve coffee production while teaching communities the importance and value of the mountain gorillas in their lives.
We are developing a global brand that will provide sustainable financing for local livelihoods and grassroots gorilla conservation efforts in Uganda.
Hidden in the dense rain forests that stretch across the southwest border of Uganda, East Africa, dwells a gentle giant that has intrigued and amazed the world for hundreds of years. Uganda is home to half of the estimated 880 mountain gorillas who are alive today, but are struggling for a tomorrow.
Gorillas’are threatened by human diseaseand encroachment of their foresthome by people who are poor and depend on the forest for food and fuelwood.
Surrounding the gorillas’protected habitats in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest are communities who grow coffee as a livelihood, but lack the skills needed to produce substantial amounts of high quality coffee and a steady market.
Gorilla Conservation Coffee is a social enterprise created through a partnership between Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) and Worldwide Fund for Nature Switzerland.Gorilla Conservation Coffee pays a premium price to help coffee farmers, living around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, improve their lives, which in turn helps to protect the gorillas and their habitat.
The 100% Arabica coffee is hand-picked, wet processed and freshly roasted.
Each cup has a unique aroma with hints of caramel, butter notes and almond, and the coffee blend is named after Kanyonyi, who can be found on the front cover of the coffee bag. Gorillas live in groups and are led by adult male silverbacks.
Kanyonyi is the lead silverback of Mubare gorilla group located in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) is working with Uganda Wildlife Authority, local communities and other organizations to improve education, health care and livelihoods, so that humans and mountain gorillas—like Kanyonyi and his family—can coexist.
We train local farmers to grow the best coffee that can collect a premium price using sustainable agriculture techniques. Some of our farmers used to poach and now, with the help of Gorilla Conervation Coffee, are making sure that the mountain gorilla and its habitat are protected and preserved.
1.50 of every kilogram of coffee that you purchase will be donated to help save mountain gorillas through supporting the work ofConservation Through Public Health,an award-winning Ugandan registered NGO and US registered non-profit established in 2003 to promote biodiversity conservation by enabling people, wildlife and livestock to coexist through improving their health and livelihoods in and around protected areas in Africa.
By buying Gorilla Conservation Coffee you will reduce threats to the gorillas and their habitat by giving coffee farmers an alternative livelihood away from poaching; and supporting the expansion of CTPH’s award-winning model of Village Health and Conservation Teams to additional villages around the national park.
Each Village Health and Conservation Team community volunteer is responsible for bringing about positive behavior change in at least 50 households located within frontline parishes that have regular interaction with gorillas both inside and outside the forest.
This model has been in operation for 10 years and has resulted in reduced conflict between people and gorillas, reduced disease incidences in gorillas, improved attitudes towards gorillas and reduced degradation of their forest habitat.
Visit www.ctph.org to learn more about mountain gorilla conservation efforts and learn more about the work of CTPH founder and CEO, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Visit www.gorillaconservationcoffee.org to learn more about the social enterprise and our farmers
Kanyonyi (pictured above) is the lead silverback of the Mubare Gorilla Group and who we have named our first coffee blend after.
