Uganda
Ugandan coffee industry has, up until now, been know for producing blending grade coffee. Despite having all the components to produce speciality coffee (altitude, soil type, coffee variety) an industry of this type has failed to establish. Market forces are currently providing a disincentive for individuals to improve the quality of their coffee.
For more on our market based incentives to reward producers click here.
Mt Elgon region
Our first project is located in the east of Uganda on the slopes Mt Elgon. The mountain is an extinct volcano rising to an altitude of over 4000m. The coffee is grown in the rich volcanic soils at an elevation closer to 2000m, providing ideal growing conditions for high quality coffee. The coffee variety planted consists almost exclusively of a variety know for lower yields of higher quality cherries.
REgional history
Uganda is infamous internationally for civil war, dictators and human rights violations. This history has been a huge impediment to development of a specialty coffee industry. While recent stability has fostered the growth of the coffee industry there is still many opportunities for improvement.