History

Founded on January 1, 2019, with 65 shareholders, Bwindi Coffee Growers Cooperative Ltd has grown to 577 members, including 459 men, 118 women, and 90 youth under 30. Operating near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, it promotes coffee cultivation, supporting local livelihoods through the coffee value chain.

Sustainability

• Women´s Empowerment; through promoting gender equality, economic independence and leadership.
• Sustainable Coffee Production; we promote eco-friendly farming practices, shade-grown coffee, and organic fertilizer.
• Climate change adaptation and mitigation; We support farmers in adapting to changing weather patterns as well as giving them free tree seedling to mitigate climate change.
• Coffee Farmer Cooperative; empowering smallholder farmers through training, Finance and Market Access.
• Boosting coffee farmers income reduces economic pressure to look to the resources of the National Park.

Farmer Engagement

• Bamboo plants along river Mubuku banks
• Tree planting

Challenges

• Temperature Fluctuations: These impact coffee ripening cycles.
• Limited Access to Quality Agro-Inputs: Challenges include insufficient access to high-quality seedlings, organic fertilizers, and pesticides.
• Market Challenges: Limited access to markets and fluctuating global coffee prices make it difficult to sell directly to international buyers.

Achievements

• Partnerships and Networks: Collaborations include UCDA, Kanungu Local Government, Gorilla Coffee Conservation (GCC), Progreso, Solidaridad, Quinta Coira (Roasters United), and local buyers.
• Registered Cooperative: Fully registered under the Uganda Cooperative Alliance (UCA) and recognized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives (MTIC).
• Specialty Coffee Experts: Renowned for producing and selling high-quality specialty coffee.
• Producing high-quality, fully-washed and natural coffee to speciality standard.