name: central coffee farmers’ association ltd (cecofa
TRANSCRIPT
Name: Central Coffee Farmers’ Association Ltd (CECOFA)
Products: Coffee
Country: Uganda
FLO ID 29912
Introduction
Central Coffee Farmers Association (Cecofa) is a farmer owned organization based in Wakiso
district of central Uganda. Formerly known as Nsangi Coffee Farmers’ Association. The
organization was originally founded in 2005 by a small group of entrepreneurial farmers.
CECOFA is now made up of 3664 farmers within the districts of central Uganda.
CECOFA brings together coffee farmers from the Central region (Wakiso, Masaka, Luwero and
Bukuya) and helps them improve their farming practices, access the international market, and
receive technical training and support. Cecofa’s vision is to help alleviate poverty in their district
through market-based sustainable agriculture practices.
On the left; Fairtrade Business Development Advisor visiting CECOFA & on the right in a group photo with CECOFA Staff & Board
Coffee growing and processing
Our farmers grow natural Robusta coffee near the shores of Lake Victoria, harvest only red ripe
cherries, dry naturally under the sun, hulled at our coffee factory, graded and exported all over
the world.
Quality management systems
CECOFA invests a lot in quality management, traceability and coffee farming sustainability
programs with a quality control laboratory and trainings in GAPs.
Production and Marketing Capacity and Certifications:
CECOFA is fair-trade and 4C certified meaning over 70% of its markets is certified. It has
capacity to produce over 70 Boxes/ containers annually of fair-trade.
On the left; Fairtrade certificate for CECOFA and right the Executive Director in one of the marketing trips in Brussels, Belgium
Coffee profile
Altitude: 1450 m
Smallholders: 3 ha on average
Total area under production: 4,670 ha
Growing practices: Mountain microorganism fertilizers and shade trees, terraces and post-
harvest handling methods used
Coffee variety: Robusta: Screens 12, 15, 18
Typical profile: Nutty, woody and creamy cereal notes with a medium to strong body and
smooth finish
Harvest: January-December
Other certifications: 4C
http://www.cecofa.org
CECOFA Network:
CECOFA has continued to network both locally, regionally and internationally in trying to access
better markets for its members. Notably CECOFA is also the current Treasurer Fair Trade
Network Uganda.
On the left; At CECOFA in one of the Partner meeting and on the right; at the regional coffee conference in Kigali, Rwanda
Youths
CECOFA was the first producer organization in Uganda to involve young people in coffee
farming as a business through games and sports as an entry point. Our Coffee football youth
club now has a lot of ambassadors and youthful crusaders and coffee farming.
Some youth football teams with support from CECOFA. Initiated by CECOFA this has now scaled to cover the whole country
Community welfare
Through our community social responsibility programs we reach out to community to address
the general needs like water and sanitation, environmental protection, health care and
infrastructural development.
We also do the monthly donations to the elderly in community.
CECOFA exchange visits
CECOFA encourages exchanging visits with similar producer organisations within our
geographical location as well as beyond our location. This is aimed at exchanging ideas and
programs aimed at improving productivity and quality as well as learning to practice
diversification.
Left; CECOFA farmers on one of the tours in Mukono district and right; CECOFA staff in Ankole Coffee producers cooperative
Benefits of Fair trade
Depending on priority of premium committee, projects focusing on livelihood improvement
social projects, coffee quality, productivity and sustainability projects are selected. Selection
and prioritization of premium projects starts from the grass root community level.
Note: These projects benefit all the community irrespective of being a CECOFA member or a
non member. It’s through these projects that even the non members can be induced to get
certified.
Social Projects
Community infrastructures like equipping the police station, clean water (Spring wells), digging
pit latrine at schools, and health centres, electric line extension in the community, construction
perimeter wall at the factory/ office, toilet improvement at the office are among social projects
implemented using Fair-trade premium fund. Coffee farmers and local community members
are directly benefiting from the projects.
Also we have found it fit to engage women in coffee farming as a business and also encouraging
them to have some carrier path development like handicrafts. Both women and Men do
intercropping of Vanilla in their coffee gardens and poultry farming as a side income.
Quality and Productivity
Quality and productivity are core values at CECOFA. Quality and productivity projects are being
implemented using premium and in partnership with development partners. Trainings on good
agricultural practice in coffee, Fair-trade awareness, MM (Mountain micro organism manure),
strengthening internal control/management system, and purchase of Weigh Bridge,
construction of a warehouse and procurement of a stand by generator are among targeted
premium project interventions. These interventions have played a decisive role in quality and
productivity improvements.
Sustainability
To combat climate change and sustainability challenges, CECOFA introduced the youth foot
ball and Netball tournaments which have now been scaled in all producer organisations in
Uganda. Through this intervention we encourage the youth to grow coffee by giving them free
seedlings. CECOFA has also implemented coffee waste management, switching to renewable
energy specifically the use of improved domestic cook stoves and charcoal briquettes made
from coffee pulps and husks. Replacing aged and diseased coffee bushes by new selected
variety seed is a regular activity of CECOFA in order to improve productivity and ensure
sustainability. With SISTEMA, a Kenyan based organisation, we intend to start encouraging our
farmers who own more than 3 cows, to start constructing Biogas digesters at a reduced price.
Exports;
CECOFA is amongst the farmer producer organisation that has managed to acquire an export
licence and it sells its coffee to the international buyers as Fairtrade certified. It has managed
to get better markets and through the premium, it has boosted the community.
Key challenges:
- Climate change due to continuous cutting of trees without plans to replant
- Aging Population; Average age for a Ugandan coffee farmer is 65 years
- Market Risks
- Lack of working capital which leads farmers to Side selling to middlemen despite being
certified
- Urbanisation (Some farmers especially in suburbs have continued to sell their land to
various developers
- Coffee wilt disease which has affected much of Ugandan coffee
Improvement efforts;
- Replanting programme; we have encouraged our farmers to replant young coffee trees
which are resistant to the wilt (We have set nursery beds in some of our regions though
we still need to put more.
- Tree planting
- Youth involvement in coffee planting
- Accessing more social lending institutions with favourable terms.
- Though there is urbanisation, CECOFA has managed to penetrate to other areas in the
rural districts spreading the evangelism of our members in those areas to do coffee
farming as a business notably; Bukuya in Mubende, Luweero , Masaka and Wakiso
Way forward for CECOFA
- Seeking support for a Grading machine. This will save a lot of time wasted in primary
processing and improving value addition on the part of the farmers because now they
will be paid depending on the grades/ screens which will encourage our farmers to
improve on quality and to get more money./ CECOFA will also gain much more in
fulfilling its contracts in time.
- More working capital to increase the volumes currently being accomplished ( current
capacity is 100 containers of certified ; 4C and Fairtrade) However, sometimes this is not
realised due to limited financing
- Increasing the number of farmers from the current 3,664 members to 5,000 members
by 2020. This can be achieved though more premium projects as well as encouraging
replanting