Sustainable coffee production

We believe coffee farmers should thrive, not just survive. Farm Africa works with coffee farmers in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, where some of the world’s best coffee is grown.

Farm Africa supports farmers to increase the quality and quantity of the coffee they produce to help farmers lift themselves out of poverty and protect the forests around them.

We work with women in this traditionally male-dominated industry, supporting them to benefit fairly from coffee production.

We support coffee farmers to build routes to profitable markets and grow their own livelihoods. We train by doing, with a two-way discussion that encourages farmers to share their knowledge so whole communities learn new techniques.

Ethiopia’s Bale Eco-region is the only place where the unique varieties of Coffee Arabica, the most commonly consumed species of coffee, still exist wild in Afromontane rainforests. But lack of training, infrastructure and good markets mean that very few coffee farmers are able to benefit from its high quality and profit-making potential.

Protection of the natural forest in this region is urgent too, as it’s at risk of being converted into farmland. But when farmers build profitable and sustainable coffee businesses, they don’t need to clear trees to create space for agriculture.

Our coffee projects support farmers to sell to lucrative markets and collect environmental data to allow farmers to capitalise on coffee’s eco-friendly credentials. We are working to create a ‘win-win’ situation whereby coffee farmers in Ethiopia have a sustained economic incentive to protect the forests.

Extreme weather and armed conflict are just some of the threats facing farming communities around the DR Congo’s Virunga National Park. But this lush, volcanic land is home to some of the world’s finest Arabica coffee and Farm Africa is working with local farmers to realise the coffee’s potential.

Until recently, post-harvest processing of coffee was basic and access to markets was scarce, but Farm Africa joined forces with the Virunga National Park on a project funded by the European Union that strengthened the business of cooperatives and their members to lift people out of poverty.

With a holistic and sustainable approach, the project supported farmers with agricultural training, coffee processing, establishing nurseries for coffee and other trees and obtaining Fairtrade and Organic certifications. The project also focused on building long-term marketing partnerships so cooperatives can operate successfully in international specialty coffee markets and continue business during periods of instability.

Women may be the backbone of the coffee industry in western Uganda, which fuels the local economy, but typically men control the profits. We worked to close the gender gap in Uganda’s coffee industry by providing women with more autonomy at the household, farm and cooperative level.

We supported Ugandan women to access markets, participate in cooperatives and take on leadership roles, giving them more say over their own profits.

We also worked with UGACOF to provide opportunities for women and young people as part of a project funded by the European Union, which upgraded western Uganda’s under-invested Arabica coffee value chain.