Inclusive Business Model Analysis: Mountain Harvest, Uganda

Mountain Harvest (MH), a coffee trader and exporter, aims to improve the livelihoods of the 800 farmers it sources from across six districts on the slopes of Mount Elgon in a sustainable manner.

Their approach is to focus on cultivating high-quality, organic Arabica coffee that can be exported to specialty markets and to support the farmers in implementing regenerative agriculture practices. Transitioning to regenerative agriculture requires MH to i) provide blended services for the entire farm portfolio; ii) enable farmers and MH to invest in diverse crops; and iii) provide market access to diverse crops by partnering with other value chain players.

As a result farmers can count on higher income from coffee and additional income from other crops, while mitigating the effects of adverse weather events. MH on the other hand, can benefit from higher sourcing volumes, better quality, and additional income from participating in other value chains.

This study was undertaken as part of the Coffee Farmer Income Resilience Programme (CFIRP) and therefore has a particular focus on higher and more resilient coffee smallholder farm income through diversified farming systems and improved soil health.