Deborah Dagit

Ethiopian-American social entrepreneur empowering women through coffee cooperatives

Deborah Dagit (b.1968) revolutionized Ethiopia's coffee industry by creating the Oikos Coffee Cooperative, the first women-led cooperative in the country's coffee sector. Growing up in Addis Ababa, she witnessed how women coffee farmers received only 10% of profits despite doing 70% of labor. Her 2001 initiative trained 1,200+ women in quality control and export negotiation, increasing their earnings 5x within 5 years. Dagit's model introduced organic farming techniques that doubled yields while protecting biodiversity. Her Slow Food Foundation partnership secured premium prices for specialty coffees, creating economic independence. The cooperative now includes 3,500 members across 7 regions, with 30% reinvested in schools and health clinics. Dagit's work inspired similar models in Kenya and Rwanda, transforming coffee from a gendered commodity into a tool for empowerment. Her memoir 《Brewing Change》 details her journey, while the Ethiopian Coffee Authority cites her as pivotal in modernizing the sector. Dagit's TEDx talk 'From Bean to Empowerment' has become a case study in social entrepreneurship programs worldwide.