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ACPCU is the largest union of coffee-producing cooperatives in Uganda, bringing together 26 cooperatives in the west of the country, processing and marketing robusta coffee from around 15,000 smallholder members. Since 2006, the union has succeeded in obtaining fair trade and organic production certifications thanks to its producer training and follow-up services, and investing in quality facilities.
Uganda is a relatively politically stable country, with a large and varied agricultural potential and a predominantly young population, and is not one of the countries most at risk from climate change according to the Germanwatch ranking. The lack of political alternation, the inequalities resulting from corruption (ranked 146th/180th by Transparency International for perceptions of corruption) and economic policy (with little infrastructure, public services or redistribution), weak industrialisation, a lack of environmental policy and FATF grey-listing are the most important risk or limiting factors for this country, which is ranked 166th out of 189 countries for HDI.
The quality certification and facilities offered by ACPCU mean better prices (11-15% higher than the Ugandan average, depending on the certification and the year) and greater operational efficiency, and therefore better remuneration for producers. Farmers also benefit from free training and monitoring services, as well as the provision of seeds and assistance with access to health services and schooling. Particular attention is paid to gender and age, with specific actions to encourage the inclusion of women and young people.
