As we get closer to the December 2 Beyco V-Auction, we continue introducing the Ugandan cooperatives behind the coffees featured in the auction. This week, we head to the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains to meet Rwenzori Organic Farmers Mountain Harvest Cooperative Society, better known as ROCS, a young cooperative working to connect smallholder farmers to specialty coffee markets. Established in 2020 by farmers looking to improve coffee quality and access better markets, ROCS has grown to 1,025 members. The cooperative is now focused on building the capacity and infrastructure needed to take the next step in its development. Its ambitions are clear. By 2028, ROCS aims to grow its membership to 2,000 farmers and expand its network of coffee processing nano stations from three to ten. It is also working to strengthen savings initiatives, improve governance and explore opportunities to connect coffee production with tourism in the Rwenzori region.

Good coffee is about more than the cup. Buyers also want to know where it comes from, who produces it and what makes a cooperative different. For six Rwandan coffee cooperatives, a communication training programme supported by Progreso Foundation has been an opportunity to strengthen how they share that story and build relationships with buyers. Over the past year, Progreso´s communications specialist Manon Koningstein facilitated five training sessions, followed by a check-in on 12 October to reflect on what participants had put into practice and where they still needed support. The programme was shaped around the cooperatives’ own needs. An initial workshop and needs assessment highlighted challenges ranging from writing professional emails and communicating with international buyers to managing social media and presenting the cooperative through stories and online content. The sessions covered verbal and written communication, social media management, negotiation, professional correspondence and websites. The emphasis was on practical

Met steun van de Postcode Loterij werkt Progreso aan de verdere ontwikkeling van zijn organisatie en aan manieren om koffiecoöperaties beter te ondersteunen. Na drie jaar technische ondersteuning konden drie Rwandese koffiecoöperaties met financiering van Progreso een volgende stap zetten: hun koffie exporteren naar internationale markten. Voor Buhanga en Kigembe betekende dit hun eerste internationale koffie-export, met leveringen aan afnemers in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Nyampinga, dat al internationaal exporteerde, kon zijn activiteiten verder uitbreiden. Inmiddels zijn alle drie de leningen volledig terugbetaald. Van ondersteuning naar export In het zuiden van Rwanda, in het district Gisagara, verbouwt Esperance Nyiransabimana koffie die ze levert aan Kigembe Cooperative. In 2025 leverde ze 4.000 kilogram rode koffiebessen aan het koffie-wasstation van de coöperatie, bijna twee keer zoveel als het jaar ervoor. Haar koffie bereikt inmiddels ook kopers ver buiten Rwanda. ‘Ik had nooit verwacht dat koffie van mijn boerderij gewaardeerd zou worden door mensen

Progreso has provided its first loans to three Rwandan coffee cooperatives. All three loans have been repaid in full, and for two of the cooperatives, the financing helped make something possible for the first time: exporting their own coffee internationally. Buhanga, Kigembe and Nyampinga were the first three Rwandan coffee cooperatives to receive financing from Progreso. The loans helped strengthen their working capital, enabling them to purchase coffee from farmers, meet buyer contracts and pursue new market opportunities. For Buhanga and Kigembe, this support helped pave the way for their first international coffee exports, with shipments reaching buyers in the United Kingdom. Nyampinga, meanwhile, used the financing to expand its international exports, increasing shipments from one container in 2023 to three in 2026. The three cooperatives are part of a wider group of six Rwandan cooperatives supported by Progreso, representing more than 3,600 farmers. From access to finance to access

Comentario, 1 de nov, Jos Algra El pecio de café en Nueva York entró en una montaña rusa desde hace rato, alternando mínimos y máximos entre 269.75 y 317.90, un rango de casi 50 centavos, para por lo pronto terminar en 287.20 centavos el viernes. La racha para abajo en la última semana fue debido al resultado de las elecciones presidenciales en Brasil, que ganó el presidente Lula da Silva, donde muchos habían esperado que ganara Flavio Bolsonaro, que estuvo arriba en la primera ronda. Ganó la democracia, perdió la economía. El mercado financiero reaccionó negativamente, haciendo bajar la paridad del real brasileño con el dólar americano.  La tasa de cambio brincó de 5 a 5.4 reales por dólar, lo que incentivó a productores y exportadores a vender y fijar mucho café, haciendo bajar el precio en la bolsa de Nueva York. Las exportaciones de octubre en Brasil subieron fuertemente

Commentary, Nov. 1, Jos Algra The price of coffee in New York has been on a rollercoaster ride for some time now, fluctuating between lows and highs between 269.75 and 317.90, a range of almost 50 cents, before finally closing at 287.20 cents on Friday. The downward trend over the past week was due to the outcome of the presidential elections in Brazil, which was won by President Lula da Silva, where many had expected Flavio Bolsonaro, who was ahead in the first round, to win. Democracy won, the economy lost. The financial market reacted negatively, causing the Brazilian real to fall against the US dollar. The exchange rate jumped from 5 to 5.4 reais per dollar, which incentivised producers and exporters to sell and fix large quantities of coffee, driving down the price on the New York Coffee Exchange. October exports in Brazil rose sharply, according to preliminary figures

In the hills of Manafwa District in Eastern Uganda, 1,012 coffee farmers are working together through Butta Farmers’ Cooperative Society to improve coffee production and strengthen their livelihoods. Through its Wonder Farms initiative, the cooperative promotes regenerative farming practices, including planting improved coffee varieties, producing natural fertilisers and using manure to improve soil health. It is also raising 10,000 coffee seedlings in its nursery. Many farmers rely on resources readily available on their farms. Cow dung, urine, ash and tithonia are used to make natural fertilisers, while 80% of Butta’s certified farmers own cows that provide manure for their coffee trees. The cooperative aims to increase productivity to 2 kg of parchment coffee per tree. To support farmers in reaching this target, it encourages improved farming practices and recognises progress through Bronze, Silver and Gold categories. Organic farming is another focus. Butta has 300 certified organic farmers, with a further

On the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, Arabica coffee grows at altitudes of 1,500–2,300 metres above sea level. For the Bushika Integrated Area Cooperative Enterprise (BIACE), the challenge is not only to produce quality coffee, but also to create greater value for the farmers who grow it. BIACE is a farmer-owned cooperative based in Bududa District, bringing together smallholder farmers through a network of primary cooperatives. Its work focuses on improving coffee production, strengthening collective marketing and opening doors to higher-value markets. Building value from farm to buyer The cooperative’s commitment to quality is reflected in its approach to processing and marketing. BIACE works with Arabica varieties including SL14, SL28 and Nyasaland, and processes coffee for export. Its approach combines quality improvement with traceability, helping connect coffee from farmers’ fields to buyers. For the 2 December 2026 Beyco Uganda Coffee Auction, BIACE is presenting Bududa Slopes Natural, a

Comentario, 18 de oct, Jos Algra El pecio de café en Nueva York tuvo un fuerte impulso el 6 de octubre, subiendo 11.40 centavos para cerrar en 304.45. El día siguiente subió más, hasta 308.35, pero luego se desplomó y cerró en 292.70. En los siguientes días tocó fondo en 283.30, pero en esta semana volvió a subir, destacándose el viernes, cuando llegó a 311.30 y cerró en 305.60, un aumento de 10.80 centavos en el día. Inicialmente el pecio aumentó por la preocupación por el impacto que el “Súper El Niño” puede tener en la producción de café en países importantes como Brasil, Vietnam e Indonesia a finales de este año. A eso se agregó el fortalecimiento del real brasileño ante el dólar, porque el candidato de la derecha Flavio Bolsonaro – hijo de Jair Bolsonaro, el expresidente que está preso por un intento de golpe de estado –

Commentary, Oct. 18, Jos Algra The price of coffee in New York saw a strong boost on October 6, rising 11.40 cents to close at 304.45. The following day, it climbed further to 308.35, but then plummeted, closing at 292.70. In the days that followed, it hit a low of 283.30, but it rebounded this week, most notably on Friday, when it reached 311.30 and closed at 305.60, an increase of 10.80 cents for the day. Initially, the price rose due to concerns regarding the potential impact of a “Super El Niño” on coffee production in major producing nations such as Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia later this year. Compounding this was the strengthening of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar, driven by the fact that right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro – son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently imprisoned for an attempted coup – led in the first