The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and World Coffee Research (WCR) have officially launched a landmark €850,000 co-investment initiative designed to modernize Uganda’s coffee seed systems.
This ambitious three-year project seeks to fortify the livelihoods of local farmers and ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector in Africa’s largest coffee exporter. The initiative is underpinned by a powerful public-private coalition involving the Lavazza Foundation, The J.M. Smucker Co., and JDE Peet’s, alongside UNIDO, which is implementing the ACT Coffee Programme with funding from the Italian Cooperation.
At the heart of the programme is a strategic focus on infrastructure, including the establishment of new Robusta mother gardens and professional nurseries to expand access to resilient coffee varieties. To guarantee crop integrity, the initiative will utilize advanced genotyping to ensure the genetic purity of over 5,000 Robusta mother garden plants, protecting farmers from the risks associated with low-yield or disease-prone seedlings.
Andrea De Marco, UNIDO Programme Manager and Partnership Advisor, noted that Uganda’s coffee sector holds extraordinary potential and that this partnership demonstrates how the public and private sectors can work together to unlock it. By collaborating closely with Ugandan government partners, the project aims to strengthen local capacity and stimulate demand through demonstration plots featuring high-performing KR Robusta lines and advanced Arabica hybrids.
Dr. Jennifer ‘Vern’ Long, CEO of World Coffee Research, emphasized that the involvement of global coffee leaders validates the necessity of collective action to de-risk key coffee origins. As climate change and market volatility continue to pressure global supply chains, this investment represents a critical step in building a more productive and resilient agricultural framework. For Uganda’s millions of coffee-dependent households, the modernization of these seed systems offers a vital pathway toward increased yields and improved economic stability.
