The African Union (AU) heads of state Assembly has endorsed the G25 Kampala Declaration on coffee, making coffee a strategic crop for the continent.

The heads of state made coffee a strategic commodity for the continent on February 19, 2024 during the 37th AU Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Kampala declaration on coffee that was endorsed by heads of state came out of the G-25 Coffee Summit held in August last year in Kampala that asked the AU to make coffee a strategic commodity under the AU agenda 2063.

The Ugandan delegation in Ethiopia was led by Vice President Jessica Alupo, Minister for Agriculture, Frank Tumwebaze and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeje Odongo.

Tumwebaze says the AU  Assembly also resolved that  the next  extra ordinary AU Summit to consider the post-Malabo CAADP framework will be held in Kampala, Uganda in January 2025. Uganda currently chairs the special technical committee on Agriculture, rural development and water ( blue economy).

It should be noted that during the second meeting of the G-25 African Coffee Summit held in Kampala in August last year, leaders from coffee-producing countries in Africa agreed to push the value addition agenda and halt the export of raw coffee beans. This initiative is aimed at elevating the income of farmers and curtailing the exploitation perpetuated by Western nations.

All participants at the summit, unanimously emphasized that for Africa to capitalize on the lucrative coffee industry, the continent’s producing nations must assume control and dominance within the market.

While opening the summit, President Yoweri Museveni presented statistics demonstrating that even though Africa contributes a significant portion of coffee to the global market, the producing countries reaped the least benefits from the coffee economy.

Museveni added that all is not lost as the situation can be reversed by emphasizing the imperative for coffee-producing nations to enhance the value of their crop. He contended that this approach will not solely amplify revenue derived from the coffee industry but will also engender increased local employment opportunities, thereby mitigating the escalating unemployment rates.

The President underscored the viability of prohibiting the export of raw coffee and rectifying the inequitable international market dynamics. He told to the delegates that Uganda has already taken steps in this direction by imposing export bans on various raw materials, including valuable minerals such as uranium, copper, wolfram, and iron ore, along with currently sought-after resources like lithium.

Source: www.businessfocus.co.ug 

The Managing Director of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye, Sustainability Director at JDE Peet’s, Ms. Nadia Hoarau-Mwaura, and Chief Executive Officer of Enveritas, Mr. David Browning, announced last week that the UCDA, JDE Peet’s, and Enveritas have entered into an agreement to implement a scheme that will enable Enveritas to verify that the coffee industry in Uganda does not export coffee grown on land deforested after 2020, as required by the new European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

This regulation, which impacts this year's coffee harvests, is designed to ensure that European citizens are not contributing to deforestation and biodiversity loss through the products that they buy and consume. As a result of signing this agreement the parties will take joint action to remediate coffee which infringes the regulation, allowing Uganda to have its entire coffee production area, grown by close to two million producers, assessed as being deforestation-free using Enveritas’ territorial approach.

In addition, through this landmark agreement, JDE Peet’s will support the rehabilitation of land deforested and converted to coffee after 2020. Ms Hoarau-Mwaura said, “Uganda is a key coffee origin for JDE Peet’s and we are proud to partner with UCDA and Enveritas to preserve access to this coffee for our consumers. While EU consumers are rightly concerned that their consumption habits may contribute to climate change and environmental degradation, it is vital that action to mitigate this risk takes into account the social implications of hurting coffee farmer livelihoods. This agreement addresses both environmental and social concerns.”

Enveritas’ territorial approach involves a technologically sophisticated process to monitor all of Uganda’s coffee growing region through a combination of high-resolution satellite imagery, machine learning, and teams on the ground. A protocol developed by UCDA will ensure that any coffee which is found to be in contravention of the new regulation is removed from the supply chain.

Once removed, JDE Peet’s will work with the farmers to reforest the land. This innovative and inclusive JDE Peet’s Enveritas countrywide solution, supported by the EU’s concept of declaration in excess, allows coffee producing land, at a vast scale, to be assessed as deforestation free, delivering on the climate journey while protecting smallholder farmers.

Dr. Iyamulemye said, “We have been monitoring closely the requirements of the EU and realized that Uganda would need to develop an innovative approach. Uganda is home to nearly two million coffee producers, the second largest population of coffee producers in the world. Traditional approaches to farm traceability might work for some of our producers, but we needed a solution at a national level or the bulk of Ugandan coffee producers might be denied access to the EU market during the 2024 harvest. This partnership allows us to take concrete action to address EU concerns regarding the deforestation caused by coffee, while also ensuring that smallholder farmers do not have their livelihoods put at risk."

Coffee-growing area of Uganda (pink). Base image courtesy NASA; crop detection overlay copyright Enveritas.

Mr. Browning said, “We are excited to partner with UCDA and JDE Peet’s on this landmark agreement. A typical Ugandan coffee farmer has less than half a hectare of coffee, and might earn only a few hundred dollars a year in coffee income. Very few Ugandan coffee farmers deforest their land to plant coffee, but how could this be validated? This partnership is a great example of how technology can be used for good. Rather than attempting to individually knock on the door of millions of farmers at enormous expense, machine learning can pinpoint exactly where the issues exist to allow the Ugandan government to address EU concerns."

Enveritas is a non-profit organization that works worldwide to support the livelihoods of smallholder coffee farmers through encouraging the responsible sourcing of coffee.

JDE Peet’s is the largest roaster of coffee in the European Union, serving millions of consumers annually.

Isaac Ntambi is the 13th National Barista Champion, while Wafoyo Raphael retains his crown as Uganda’s best cup taster after winning the 8th National Cup Tasters Championship.

As Uganda’s top Barista and Cup Tasters Competition, the 2023 edition saw the crema of the country’s coffee talent battle it out for top honours at MOTIV, often accompanied by loud cheers from the crowd showing support for their favourite competitor.

In the end, the craft and skill of the Barista and the say of the Judges separated the Champions from the rest of the pack.

Isaac, who is not new to the Barista Championship circuit, has endured many setbacks, coming close in several Barista Competitions but never wearing the crown. Despite such setbacks, he never lost focus. He kept going until he finally claimed the jewel of Uganda’s top Barista.

While receiving the Barista Championship trophy from Jan Sadek, EU Ambassador to Uganda and Guest of Honor of the award ceremony, the soft-spoken Isaac could only muster a few words, “It’s been a long journey.”

Fortunately, this is the beginning of an exciting chapter. Isaac will represent Uganda at the World Barista Championship in South Korea in 2024. His journey is beginning. 

Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) will hold the finals of the National Barista Championship and the 8th National Cup Tasters Championship tomorrow at MOTIV, Kampala, Uganda. 

The National Barista competition focuses on promoting excellence in coffee and advancing the barista profession. The championship seeks to identify the best baristas with the best skills and craftsmanship to make the best coffee beverages.  

Held annually, the competition has been on a break since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. 

Despite the break, the 2023 edition saw a great turn-up of competitors in the preliminary rounds. 43 competitors participated in the preliminary round and 16 qualified for the semifinals.

The overall winner of the Uganda National Barista Champion represents Uganda at world coffee events such as the Africa Barista Championship and World Barista Championship (WBC) that are conducted during the Specialty Coffee Association Conferences, African Fine Coffee Association Conference and World Coffee Events (WCE) in Europe. 

The winner of the Barista Championship will represent Uganda at the World Barista Championship in South Korea. 

Uganda’s participation in global coffee championships provides a platform for showcasing and marketing Uganda's coffee. It also gives visibility for Uganda as a coffee-producing country and markets it as an origin of specialty Arabica and Fine Robusta.

Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) will hold the finals of the National Barista Championship and the 8th National Cup Tasters Championship tomorrow at MOTIV, Kampala, Uganda. 

The National Barista competition focuses on promoting excellence in coffee and advancing the barista profession. The championship seeks to identify the best baristas with the best skills and craftsmanship to make the best coffee beverages.  

Held annually, the competition has been on a break since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. 

Despite the break, the 2023 edition saw a great turn-up of competitors in the preliminary rounds. 43 competitors participated in the preliminary round and 16 qualified for the semifinals.

The overall winner of the Uganda National Barista Champion represents Uganda at world coffee events such as the Africa Barista Championship and World Barista Championship (WBC) that are conducted during the Specialty Coffee Association Conferences, African Fine Coffee Association Conference and World Coffee Events (WCE) in Europe. 

The winner of the Barista Championship will represent Uganda at the World Barista Championship in South Korea. 

Uganda’s participation in global coffee championships provides a platform for showcasing and marketing Uganda's coffee. It also gives visibility for Uganda as a coffee-producing country and markets it as an origin of specialty Arabica and Fine Robusta.

Kampala, 10th October 2023 – The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) announces the reopening of all primary coffee factories in the Greater Mukono, Greater Luwero, and Busoga regions, effective Wednesday, 11th October 2023. These factories had been temporarily sealed to facilitate the natural ripening of coffee cherries at the farms.

Coffee traders, farmers, and processors are urged to adhere to coffee regulations. Specifically, they are required to hull well-dried coffee, harvest only ripe cherries, and implement proper post-harvest practices to ensure high-quality coffee production and comply with the Coffee law.

The collaboration and cooperation of all stakeholders is required to ensure that the quality of Ugandan coffee is sustained.

6th September 2023, Kampala – The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and Uganda Coffee Federation have today released the final scores of the Best of the Pearl Robusta Competition 2023 with Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative (ACPCU) and Zigoti Coffee as winners. 

Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative topped the Natural Coffee category with a cupping score of 86.25 and the washed coffee category with a cupping score of 83.5. Zigoti Coffee won the Honey Coffee category with a cupping score of 85.5. These are the best robusta coffees for 2023 and will be showcased to coffee buyers globally.

The competition, organised by the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and Uganda Coffee Federation in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Feed the Future Uganda Inclusive Agricultural Markets Activity, run from 29th August – 1st September 2023 at the UCDA Coffee Quality Laboratory. This annual competition helps to identify high-quality producers.

Thirty-six samples of Robusta coffees were cupped, graded, and analysed by a panel of qualified and experienced local judges led by Brenda K Mangeni, the Head Judge, and Clare Rwakatogoro, Veronica Najjemba, Fidel Bakomeza, and Jacob Baterierega. The judges used the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) Fine Robusta score sheet and protocols to identify and select the best Robusta coffees from across Uganda. 

Zigoti's honey coffee profile was Rasin, Cocoa, Black Currants, Winey, Vanilla, and Coffee Blossom. ACPCU's natural coffee profile was Coffee Blossom, Mixed Berries, Winey, Raisin, and Tangerine. ACPCU's honey coffee profile was Coffee Blossom, Butter, Chocolate, Honey, Mango Nectar and Hints Of Berries. 

Uganda is the birthplace of Robusta coffee. With increased coffee quality comes higher earnings for farmers and the country. 

The Government of Uganda through Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) is implementing the Coffee and Cocoa Development Project (CoCoDEV) under Inclusive Green Economy Uptake (GreenUp) Financing Agreement of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF).

UCDA will utilize part of the funds under CoCoDEV project to implement a matching grants scheme to support farmers to establish production units of coffee and cocoa.

The objective of the Matching Grant Scheme (MGS) is to stimulate and promote sustainable commercial- production and productivity in the coffee and cocoa value chain.

Deadline for submission of applications is 30th September 2023.

Eligibility criteria: To be considered for funding, the applicant must:

1. Be an individual commercial coffee/cocoa farmer, registered private entity, coffee/cocoa cooperative, coffee/cocoa association, coffee /cocoa Community Business Organization/communal group.

2. Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the grant.

3. All applicants should be 18 years and above.

4. Must possess a land suitable for coffee/cocoa production of minimum 10 acres (4 hectares)

5. Legal land ownership/user rights. Land must be free from encumbrances and conflicts

6. Must possess land within the eligible districts

7. Must be willing to use own funds for initial investment in establishment of coffee/cocoa farms.

Eligible Activities: The funding will support the following production related activities include:

1. Procurement of planting materials (seeds, seedlings, clonal cuttings)

2. Carrying out good agricultural practices including climate change adaptation measures (shade trees seedlings and banana suckers)

3. Fertilizers (plant nutrition)

4. Pests, disease and weed management measures (pesticides, fungicides & herbicides)

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Ugandan Coffee brands have been recognized among the world’s best coffees at the 9th International Contest of “Coffees roasted at origin” 2023 competition held in Paris, France.

The winners of the competition were announced on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 in Paris, France.

The competition is organized by the Agency for Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA) to enable producers to improve consumer perception of exceptional coffees cultivated and roasted properly by the producers.

AVPA offers an opportunity to producers (individual or organized in associations or cooperatives) who take responsibility for their roasting and roasters located in the countries of production and guarantee the traceability of their coffees, to participate in the contest “Coffees roasted at origin”.

The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) submitted an impressive selection of 15 samples of roasted coffees from Ugandan farmers and roasters to this prestigious contest.

Nearly 200 exceptional coffees/samples spread over 25 countries from four continents took part in the competition.

Winners

Two Ugandan coffee brands won Gold medals; Gorilla Highlands from Bwindi and Sasa Coffee from Mount Elgon area.

Zicofe, Kikobero Coffee and Nucafe received Silver, while Big Gorilla, Dicana Coffee and Sipi Hills won Bronze medals.

Mugamba Organic, Nucafe, Elgon Pride, Gorilla Conservation Coffee and Masha Coffee were also recognized with Certificates of Excellence.

Uganda emerged the best in Africa as 13 of the 15 samples submitted were awarded and recognized. It was followed by Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Kenya with five, three and two samples recognized and awarded respectively.

Peru, Columbia and Uganda took the first three positions.

Uganda’s remarkable coffees embody the diverse flavors and rich heritage of the country’s thriving coffee industry.

Laura Walusimbi, the Corporate Communications Manager at UCDA, congratulated all the winners of the AVPA “Coffees Roasted at Origin” competition.

“The dedication and hard work that they put into producing such exceptional coffee is commendable. UCDA is mandated to regulate, promote, and oversee the coffee industry and we pledge our full support to all stakeholders. Together, we will elevate Uganda’s outstanding coffee to global recognition,” she said.

Quality improving

The competition organizers say they received fantastic coffee from all over the world and that it was a hard task for jury members to do the tasting and pick the eventual winners.

The AVPA jury consists of six to twelve members. The jury members are French speaking; they are professionals in the coffee industry (producers, roasters, and distributors), chefs, gourmets and discerning consumers.

“The quality of the green coffee that has been used in the selection is really good,” a taster said, adding: “The profile, packaging and the quality has really improved. We are hopeful that the coffees that were recognized with medals get to have the recognition on the market and improve what they are already doing.”

The organizers say that for those who were not awarded, it is a chance for them to improve the quality of their coffee and the roast profile.

A coffee taster, Marilyn Kennedy, appealed to participants to “keep up the good work.”

“We need to elevate the quality of coffee all over the world and you are there to do that and we are here to taste that coffee,” she said.

Premium Prices in the offing

Richard Rugaya, the Founder of Gorilla Highlands, says the Paris event is going to help them achieve premium prices by selling coffee roasted at the origin and that it will help the company and the farmers improve their livelihood and incomes.

Martin Nangoli, the founder and Managing Director of Kikobero Coffee Company Ltd, says the win of a silver medal for Kikobero Coffee was a surprise and is a huge win for Ugandan Specialty coffee.

“Kikobero Coffee was selected and submitted for this competition. The win means a lot for our Ugandan coffee on any shelves anywhere in the world. It means our coffee is of high quality,” Nangoli.

He adds that roasting coffee at the origin is key as it shows that “we are in charge of our roasting profiles.”

“If Uganda competed among 200 coffees from 25 countries and came out with such results, it means a lot in the world of coffee. It’s worth celebrating,” he said.

“We look after our farmers, our coffee, our processors and our producers. We are concerned about every detail from the garden to the cup. This is what sets us apart. This win is setting a challenge for us to look at how to compete against giants like Ethiopia.”

He applauded UCDA for objectively considering and submitting a number of coffee samples from Uganda including Kikobero coffee to showcase their products at such a global event.

The Deputy Director General, International Partnerships at the European Commission, Myriam Ferran, has pledged continued support to Uganda in the coffee and cocoa sub-sectors.

Ferran made the remarks during a visit to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) laboratory in March together with Ambassador Jan Sadek, Head of the European Union Delegation to Uganda, Caroline Adriaensen, Head of Cooperation and Sofian Dahmani from the EC International Partnerships Directorate. The visit was important in kick-starting strengthened cooperation between the European Union and UCDA in implementing the comprehensive value chains approach as part of the coffee and cocoa priority value chains for the Global Gateway in Uganda.

The European Union has been supporting the Ugandan coffee and cocoa value chains through two major projects implemented by UCDA over the past five years. The EU-EAC Market Access Programme (MARKUP) worth EUR 3.638.000 and the Coffee and Cocoa Value Chain Development (CoCoDev) Project in Uganda worth EUR 8 million (UGX 32.8bn) have supported the value chain development from smallholder farmers to certification, among other areas. The implementing period for MARKUP was 2018 to 2021 (with a second phase in the pipeline) while that for CoCoDev is 2022 to 2026.

During the visit, Ferran commended UCDA’s efforts in the coffee and cocoa sub-sectors and called on the Authority to involve refugee-hosting communities in coffee production. This, according to Ferran, would help to improve the lives of refugees and contribute to the inclusive growth of the coffee industry. Sixty-five percent of Uganda’s coffee exports go to the EU, placing the country in a position to compete favorably with other producing countries.

The team was hosted by UCDA’s Managing Director, Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye, who took them through a coffee cup-tasting session to appreciate the uniqueness of Uganda’s coffee. Also on display were Ugandan cocoa and cocoa products.

Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye, applauded the EU for the financial support, which, he said, is consistent with the Authority’s desire to strengthen cooperation with the EU in order to support the expansion of the coffee and cocoa sub-sectors.

“We have been supporting the private sector to improve their coffee and cocoa standards. [The CoCoDev] project will continue supporting the coffee and cocoa sub-sectors by focusing on commercialisation and providing grants to expand production,” said Dr. Iyamulemye.

Dr. Iyamulemye added that the EU support is also going to improve the cocoa regulatory framework. “For the first time, we are going to have standards for cocoa, and this will enable producers to access even more markets so that they can continue fetching premium prices,” he said.

The European Union’s support of the coffee and cocoa sub-sectors in Uganda is vital for the country’s economic growth. Uganda is known for its high-quality coffee beans and the EU’s continued support will enable the country to increase its production and expand its market reach.

Uganda is the leading exporter of coffee in Africa and the 7th largest producer in the world. With 65% of the coffee exported to the European Union, it is clear that this is an important market for Uganda.

Kisoro, a coffee growing region with potential to produce some of the best Arabica in the country and enable farmers earn big from the lucrative coffee business still lags behind because of bottlenecks such as lack of processing equipment.

This is set to change as UCDA gave out four wet mills to coffee farming communities to support coffee processing, thus increasing the quality and volumes produced.

In March, UCDA Technical Extension Manager, Robert Tumwesigye oversaw the successful installation and operationalisation of a wet mill on Mr. Gerald Ngarama’s coffee farm in Murora sub-county, Kisoro district. The engine-driven wet mill has capacity to process 800kgs of red cherry per hour and will be accessed for free by other coffee farmers in the community.

Ngarama, is one of the recipients of the 35 wet mills procured by UCDA for distribution to coffee farmers across the country in a bid to improve coffee quality and promote production of specialty coffee which fetches a premium price.

Speaking at the launch, Tumwesigye noted that while access to the power grid remains a major challenge in rural areas, the engine-driven wet mill will ensure uninterrupted coffee processing.

Three other recipients of the wet mills are Festus Bahinyuza from Nyabwishenya sub-county, Winnie Bavuga from Nyakabande sub-county and Kenneth Barigye, Nyakabande sub-county.

Memory Akaijuka, the UCDA Regional Extension Officer for Kisoro says that coffee farmers in Kisoro have long struggled to process coffee to the right standard. This has often resulted in poorly processed coffee which fetches low prices on the market.

The installation of the wet mills will make it easy for farmers to pulp the coffee, store it in bulk as parchment and then, later, market it to buyers while maintaining its quality.

Kisoro Arabica coffee is grown on the slopes of Mt. Muhavura in south western Uganda. It has lively acidity, creamy mouthfeel and a sweet flavour with pleasantly lingering aftertaste.

In Kisoro district, about 80,000 farmers are involved in coffee growing with an estimated 4.3 million coffee trees planted mainly in the sub-counties of Nyabwishenya, Nyundo, Nyakabande, Busanza, Murora, Kirundo and Kisoro.

UCDA and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries last year commenced on a program to scale up wet processing to produce commercial volumes in Arabica and Robusta growing areas to attract premium prices.