Overview

Uganda is internationally considered to be the birthing place of Robusta coffee. The country has many small holders who are mostly producing coffee in traditional ways without adding much additional value. The Dutch social enterprise the Brand Development Group is investing in setting up a model coffee farm, based on principles of the “Circular Economy”. The “Brand Coffee Farm Uganda” is growing robusta coffee, on 80 acres of land, in a different way to create an improved value addition. Brand Coffee Farm Uganda is a coffee farm located in central Uganda (https://www.google.nl/maps/@0.5774388,31.507405,741m/data=!3m1!1e3). The farm is currently still in the development phase, already having planted 60 acres of Robusta Coffee intercropped with banana trees and vanilla. The next phase will be to plant macademia trees as shade trees and continue expanding the vanilla intercropping. Besides these crops, the farm will further develop its production with certified red chili pepper The farm aims to support/train local small holder farmers’ activities to improve their way of producing coffee. Through training the farm will transfer knowledge regarding circular and sustainable production methods, post-harvest handling and good agricultural practices to farmers in the region. This will not only benefit their coffee production but their livelihoods as well. Brand Coffee Farm is developing the circular coffee farm approach step-by-step. It is a learning by doing experience in which we will experiment with solar powered machines, organic composting, bee keeping, water purification, mushroom production on coffee waste material, etc. This project is supported by the Dutch Good Growth Fund with an initial subsidy and currently providing the farm a credit facility.