We’ve been reflecting on an intensive 12-day 'trip with purpose' to Uganda and Rwanda and are still processing the incredible experience and learnings we had.
We will never take for granted the amount of work, care and attention to detail that goes into producing specialty-grade coffee before it lands with us in Glasgow. This is why we have madepurposeful visits to coffee producers regularly to ensure we are fully connected with the people and products in our supply chain that are so important to us.
This was our first visit to the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda and was arranged to allow us to see the impact of our ongoing seedling project, a direct collaboration with Omwani Coffee Co. and Agri Evolve, supporting the incredible smallholder farmers behind the Bukonzo Dream coffee we have been roasting since 2022.
We often refer to sourcing coffee ethically and are always seeking to learn more and to be fully transparent in our sustainability journey. This ensures we are constantly improving our practices and updating our knowledge. Visiting coffee origins informs our decision-making and gives us the confidence that we are purchasing coffee through supply chains that we trust and that we can add the most value to. While we cannot change the supply chain infrastructures that exist, we can choose those that are progressive, influence change, and support the future of coffee producers.
Agri Evolve is a Social Enterprise working with coffee farmers in Uganda to improve yields, productivity and income and raise the quality of life for farmers. Their operation was the perfect place to visit to help shape our future coffee sourcing policies at Dear Green.
After an eight-hour drive west of Entebbe, our visit to Agri Evolve allowed us to see the metrics our supply chain partners are driving on the ground. The organisation built by Jonny and Beth Rowland is endlessly impressive, with their focus on agricultural training and community development resulting in a global distribution of green coffee and a better income for farmers who otherwise had no route to market. Agri Evolve has achieved an average 119% increase in farmer income and has planted over 516,000 indigenous trees to build climate resilience.
We spent three intensive days based near Kasese, touring Agri Evolve’s multifaceted operation featuring sorting, washing, drying, farming, milling, composting, and seedling nursery facilities, plus a state-of-the-art QC lab where we were guided through cuppings of various lots, processes, and profiles of coffee by Q-Grader Victoria and her team.
Our highlight was being hosted by the Kyanzababiri coffee farming group, led by their chairman, John Bwambale, and supported by Special Projects Manager, Agnes Kerora. Together, they demonstrated what our seedling project delivered. They welcomed us to their community with singing, dancing, and an informative presentation before a visit to the seedling nursery, formal distribution of seedlings, and a demonstration of their farming app, planting training, and financial management.
Through the project, Dear Green has donated 5,000 coffee tree seedlings, and this year, we added 5,000 shade tree seedlings to show our continued support and to meet agroforestry goals.
We have huge gratitude to the farmers of Kyanzababiri, the Agri Evolve crew, and James and LC of Omwani for facilitating a trip that reminded us exactly why we do what we do.
Brew some coffee from Bukonzo, Rwenzuri, Uganda.
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