Background
The idea for the Bariguna coffee project was developed in 2020 after many years of work and life as a UN staff in East Africa. The experiences in Uganda and South Sudan, among other countries, were the background for a focus on working with producers in rural, often isolated areas. An engagement in South Sudan was originally planned, but had to be abandoned because of insecurity in rural areas since the outbreak of the third civil war in 2013. Uganda being the second home of the family, it was the alternative choice to establishing the project.
The main goal of the project is to work closely with small farmers and producers and encourage them to improve their farm management, harvest and post-harvest management processes in order for their coffees to qualify for the international specialty coffee market. Thus, the producers will maximize their benefits on the basis of the same resources at their disposal, namely their land and coffee farms. In addition, many buyers in the specialty coffee market are also committed to transparency and fairness in the value chain.
We have a particular interest in environmental conservation and established a partnership with one specialty coffee company in Europe and an international environmental NGO, channeling premiums for the coffee paid by the importer through the NGO to the farmers. The project provides training in environmental farm management but also equipment such as bio gas digesters, rain water tanks organic fertilizers and other inputs on a shared cost basis to interested producers.
In 2026, we are concluding a partnership with a German specialty coffee roaster who has been working for close to 10 years with producers in the same region. They are obtaining certification from Rain Forest Alliance and Organic this year and Bariguna will contribute to the process.
Since the establishment of Bariguna Coffee, we have been working with two women’s associations, one women-led company, one youth association and an association of retired civil servants and their elderly family members, in addition to a specialty producer and a farmers’ association. Some of these groups practice revolving loan schemes among their members and we contribute to their efforts through paying premiums for the coffees.