The Mountain Partnership, under the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization (UN FAO), supported by the Small Grants Program of the Global Environment Facility (SGP / GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), is implementing a scholarship program that aims to support innovative business ventures within agricultural and textile value chains. This program seeks to enhance the adaption and resilience of local communities in mountainous and island areas through technical assistance and capacity building.
Under the Business Incubator & Accelerator (BIA) for Mountainous & Island Regions program, two cooperatives of BUDETU Farmers Marketing Cooperative Society in Bulambuli district and Miale Tubana Mixed Farmers Group in Mbale district are being supported with capacity building in sustainable coffee production and marketing where a series of impactful training sessions and activities are being conducted.
Coffee farmers of Miale Tubana were trained in sustainable coffee production, pest and disease management, soil and water conservation, and quality control and traceability within the coffee value chain. As of now, over 30,000 Nyasaland Arabica coffee seedlings have been distributed to members and farmers of Miale Food community to support sustainable coffee cultivation. Additionally, Elgon-level soil and water conservation toolkits were supplied to farmers to aid in soil and water conservation efforts on their land.
The training sessions proceeded to Bulambuli and Bududa districts where cooperative society leaders from the Bushika Integrated Area Cooperative Enterprise (BIACE) and BUDETU in Bulambuli district received training on agroforestry and specialty coffee establishment aimed at enhancing their skills to improve local coffee production practices. This training covered the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the new EU Organic Agriculture Regulation, and the National Coffee Act 2021. There was a comprehensive workshop focused on coffee quality and traceability management to enhance the skills and knowledge of the Shunya Yetana Cooperative Quality Control Team in Bududa. This session was designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of 10 selected Trainers of Trainers (TOTs) covering key aspects of coffee quality control, including techniques for maintaining high standards, methods for ensuring traceability throughout the coffee supply chain, and practices for effectively managing quality assessments. The session aimed to strengthen the overall quality and consistency of coffee produced by the cooperatives. Through the Training, Edward Mukiibi the Slow Food Uganda executive director emphasized on the practical approaches to monitor and manage coffee quality from firm to market, thereby supporting the cooperatives efforts to meet both local and international standards. The training emphasized practical approaches to monitor and manage coffee quality from farm to market, thereby supporting the cooperative’s efforts to meet both local and international standards.
These followed the micro-loans, resolving funds and enterprise selection training that was recently held for BUDETU Coffee Farmers in Bulambuli district and Miale Tubana Mixed Farmers’ Cooperative aimed at empowering the members through financial literacy.
