Aging Population; Average age for a Ugandan coffee farmer is 65 years

Market Risks

Lack of working capital which leads farmers to Side selling to middlemen despite being certified

Urbanization (Some farmers especially in suburbs have continued to sell their land to various developers

Coffee wilt disease which has affected much of Ugandan coffee

To combat climate change and sustainability challenges, CECOFA introduced the youth football and Netball tournaments which have now been scaled in all producer organizations in Uganda. Through this intervention we encourage the youth to grow coffee by giving them free seedlings. CECOFA has also implemented coffee waste management, switching to renewable energy specifically the use of improved domestic cook stoves and charcoal briquettes made from coffee pulps and husks. Replacing aged and diseased coffee bushes by new selected variety seed is a regular activity of CECOFA in order to improve productivity and ensure sustainability. With SISTEMA, a Kenyan based organisation, we intend to start encouraging our farmers who own more than 3 cows, to start constructing Biogas digesters at a reduced price.

Improvement efforts:

Tree planting

Youth involvement in coffee planting

Accessing more social lending institutions with favourable terms.

Though there is urbanisation, CECOFA has managed to penetrate to other areas in the rural districts spreading the evangelism of our members in those areas to do coffee farming as a business notably; Bukuya in Mubende, Luweero , Masaka and Wakiso