As important as coffee is to American consumers, it's even more vital to African and South American countries where much of the coffee served in America is grown. Nowhere is this more true than in the African country of Uganda, where coffee accounts for 64% of the country's export revenue, according to the Ugandan Coffee Research Centre. Because of coffee's contribution to the economy, Uganda's GDP ranks 3rd highest out of the 40 countries in sub-Saharan Africa region.
Some 8 million people make their living directly from the coffee market - about 25% of the country's total population. The workers range from farmers, who are relatively well off by Ugandan standards, to millions of men and women who pick, sort and process the coffee in the fields and farms, to factory workers who process the beans for shipment overseas.
Play the video on the left to learn more about the importance of coffee to Uganda's people.
Or click on the links above to meet these Ugandans and get a deeper look at coffee production in Uganda, what it means for farmers there and the complicated process of making the coffee that winds up in coffee shops and coffee cups around the world. Listen to interviews with Ugandans from provinces all over the country - farmers, factory workers and officials at the Ugandan Coffee Development Authority - telling the story of what life is like producing coffee in Uganda.