Our commitment to purchasing coffee based on quality allows The Coffee Gardens to offer higher prices to their registered farmers in Uganda year after year, driving farmer loyalty and strengthening the group.
Origin: Uganda, Mt. Elgon
Timeline: 2019-2022
Partner orgs: Rabo Foundation, Marie Stopes International, Solidaridad, Vi Agroforestry, LSE, World Agroforestry Centre
2022 HIGHLIGHTS
• 550 registered farmers, 21% women contributing to specialty grade coffee production
• 27% increase in yields
• 100% increase in household income compared to 2021
• 272 farmers trained on GAP including 214 on sustainable practices such as soil management and water conservation
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Coffee Gardens was established in 2017 with the goal of producing specialty coffee in an ethical way, offering a transparent and direct link between coffee farmers and coffee consumers. At the heart of their business model is the concept of the triple-bottom-line, where economic, social, and environmental goals are equally valued and prioritised. A healthy environment and motivated producers are crucial to producing and maintaining quality in coffee. Conversely, environmental degradation and farmer vulnerability are a threat to our future.
THE PLAN
Our commitment to coffee purchases based on quality allows The Coffee Gardens to offer, with confidence, higher pricing in a transparent business model to their registered farmers year after year, driving farmer loyalty and strengthening the group.
In 2022 we are coming into the final year of our three-year long MOU with The Coffee Gardens, which is based on buying all coffees based on the relation between quality and pricing. In 2022 we continue to support the promotion of a Gofundme campaign to raise funds to build a new section of their washing station. The need here is to raise $10,000.
THE RESULTS
There was a 71% loyalty rate for producers in the 2020-21 harvest cycle to The Coffee Gardens due to their transparent pricing system and pricing-for-quality approach. All farmers saw an average increase of between 12-23% in earnings where they supplied mixed coffees to local traders. At the beginning of the 2021-22 harvest they are seeing farmers returning who received pre-harvest loans at a time when the market is at its highest.
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