Uganda Nyabirongo

This coffee comes from Nyabirongo, a small community in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains in Western Uganda. It has been sourced from a large number of smallholder farmers living and working in the area, with over 2700 farmers from the area bringing their ripe cherries to the Agri Evolve washing station for processing.

Regular turning of the cherries on raised beds enables them to dry slowly and for the full flavours to be absorbed into the coffee beans. Once the correct level of drying has been achieved the coffee is hulled, cleaned and graded by the modern machinery in Agri Evolve’s dry mill. This includes use of a colour sorter to ensure the beans are of the highest standard.

Uganda is known as ‘the Pearl of Africa’ due to its spectacular landscapes and abundant wildlife. It's also one of the few countries in the world where coffee grows natively, with indigenous robusta trees still growing around Lake Victoria.

Robusta coffee was first domesticated by the Baganda people who used it for cultural and medicinal purposes. The British colonial government established large estates for robusta cultivation in the early 20th century, and also introduced robusta's higher-quality but fragile cousin Arabica to the country.

When many of the large estates collapsed in the 1920s due to falling prices and the fallout from World War I and the 1918 flu pandemic, smallholder farmers took over and remain the backbone of Uganda's coffee industry.

Today robusta coffee continues to play a crucial role in Uganda's economy, although high-grown Arabica is increasingly important and sought-after by roasters.

Did you know?

• High altitudes and cool temperatures make the Rwenzoris ideal for growing Arabica coffee, while the myriad microclimates and prevalence of shade-growing lead to healthier plants and more complex coffees.
• The Kibale Wild Coffee Project was an initiative around the millennium to commercialise the park's native-growing robusta by providing employment to inhabitants and incentivising conservation practices. However it transpired that there wasn't enough interest in premium robusta coffee at the time and the project was subsequently shelved.
• The Rwenzori Mountains are among the leading contenders for title of 'Mountains of the Moon', thought by Ptolemy and other ancient geographers to be the source of the Nile. Unfortunately the glaciated peaks that give the Rwenzoris their moon-like appearance are in retreat due to the global impacts of climate change.

Our speciality coffees are 100% traceable and ethically sourced. We work direct with farmers, or through trusted partners, to bring you the best coffee from around the world.

Sourced in partnership with: AgriEvolve
Producer relationship length: 2 years