Uganda

Uganda is East Africa’s largest coffee exporting county by volume. The country exports an annual average of more than 6 million bags. Uganda’s hugely ambitious government has plans to more than triple this number in the coming years.

The central Africa region holding Uganda’s fertile lowlands was the evolutionary source of the caffea canephora. This is the “robusta” species of coffee, and Uganda is one of its only modern indigenous sources.

Today, robusta remains almost 80% of Uganda’s trade. However, arabicas of a wide quality spectrum are some of the sweetest and creamiest coffees in east Africa. Their snappy naturals are also on par with the best from Burundi or Ethiopia. This is a huge accomplishment from historically underserved smallholders producing a minority species.

The best Ugandan coffees can easily stand against those from anywhere else in East Africa. They are bright, layered with enzymatic and fresh fruit juice complexity, with uniquely caramel-like sugars and soft textures. We buy a small variety of centrally processed smallholder coffees from Mt. Elgon each year. These are stunning examples of arabica’s potential in Uganda, which is still relatively unknown to many.

We can offer more traceability for Ugandan coffee beans than ever before. They come from an incredibly gifted and water-rich land, often with certifications. We find it shocking that no Uganda coffees have Good Food Awards stickers on their labels!