We've been buying our Ugandan coffee exclusively from Agri Evolve since 2018. From our first meeting, their dedication to the communities they work with has been one of the main things that attracted us to them (aside from great coffee, of course). Additionally, since July 2021, we’ve been supporting their ACE2030 project – a 10-year programme emphasising the integral link between agriculture, community and the environment. Read more about the project here.
We support the project by paying an additional premium for the green coffee we source. The proceeds from the coffee are already invested back into coffee-producing communities (Agri Evolve have recently opened a state-of-the-art processing facility in the Kasese District). However, we wanted to take things a step further. So, for each kilo of Ugandan coffee we buy, we pay an additional 60p directly to ACE2030. Of that, 40p pays for a new tree to be planted in their nursery, and the remainder supports some incredible community projects.
The latest figures...
At the time of writing (March 2023) we've bought 7630kg of green Ugandan coffee. That equates to an incredible:
£4578 of contributions to ACE2030, made up of 7630 trees and £1526 of community support.
Last year we visited the tree nursery, where we met Milton - the man responsible for making those contributions a reality. The trees will primarily provide shade for coffee plants, which benefit from being protected from harsh sunlight. As well as this protection, shade trees are important for soil health. They can improve the integrity of the soil and prevent erosion, and also provide valuable nitrates for the surrounding soil. Finally, when the trees drop their leaves, the natural composting process helps the coffee plants even more. Ultimately, that all means there's tastier coffee for you to enjoy.
The community projects funded by Agri Evolve are equally important. The £1526 you've helped raise has gone towards projects such as:
- Funding new fuel-efficient log burners
- Providing pit latrines for a local school
- Digging a water borehole in a local town
- Supporting a local organisation providing craft training for young people who have dropped out of school.
- Mentoring and supporting youth teams to become independent small businesses.
- Contributing to relief efforts following local flooding which destroyed homes and infrastructure.
