Our projects> Growing Resilient Agricultural Enterprises (GREAN) in Uganda

Growing Resilient Agricultural Enterprises (GREAN) in Uganda

Closed

Combination

Agriculture/fishery

Call 6

Uganda

Time consumed

Start: 09-Mar-17 End: 30-Sep-20

Lead Nordic partner

Vi Planterar Träd (Vi Agroforestry)

Country of Lead Nordic partner

Sweden

Local partner(s)

Africa Fairtrade Network

Other partner(s)

Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative Union Ltd., Banyankole Kweterana Cooperative Union Ltd., Kibinge Coffee Farmers' Cooperative Society Ltd.

NCF grant size

500,000

Total project cost

660,000

Technologies

Briquettes and pellets, Improved cookstoves

Methods

Agroforestry, Branding/marketing support, Training

Country of implementation:

Uganda

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Description

The project aims at contributing to improved sustainable livelihoods for small-scale coffee producers in Uganda through climate adaptation and mitigation measures in Bukomansimbi, Bushenyi, Ibanda, Mbarara, Mitooma, Ntungamo and Sheema districts.

The GREAN Project is an initiative responding to several challenges facing Ugandan coffee farmers including unsustainable farming methods, climate change, market failures as well as inefficient and unsustainable energy sources and uses; all of which... The project aims at contributing to improved sustainable livelihoods for small-scale coffee producers in Uganda through climate adaptation and mitigation measures in Bukomansimbi, Bushenyi, Ibanda, Mbarara, Mitooma, Ntungamo and Sheema districts.

The GREAN Project is an initiative responding to several challenges facing Ugandan coffee farmers including unsustainable farming methods, climate change, market failures as well as inefficient and unsustainable energy sources and uses; all of which are currently translating into declining production and income. The project will promote SALM and agroforestry practices which can reduce pressure on agricultural and forest lands, increase soil fertility and intensify coffee productivity, which in turn raise incomes and reduce poverty. The project will mobilize and train 10,000 farmers organised in 405 groups from 3 small coffee producer cooperatives through participatory group approach, using farmer-led implementation, training of trainers and learning sites serving as centres for technology, e.g. Farmer Field Schools and demo sites.

GREAN project will enable increased access to local/regional coffee markets for the SPOs by aiming to introduce Producer Owned quality Fairtrade labelled Robusta coffee on the Ugandan market for the first time. It will also enable carbon sequestration and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by introducing improved cook stoves (in line with Improved Cook Stoves for East Africa CDM/Gold Standard project), and coffee husk briquettes, benefitting particularly women and youth through sales of stoves and briquettes. Farmers will be able to access carbon credits and financial resources from the private sector.

Green growth for improved livelihoods will be fostered, enabling SPOs and their members to benefit from increased access to local and regional coffee markets. GREAN project aims to improve the position of farmers in the value chain, by building their capacity in marketing and product development, to enable them to keep more of the value of their coffee. Additionally, the project will employ innovative household tools such as the gender balance tree, household visioning and the leadership empowerment map to support families in joint planning and decision making, empowering women and youth.

The GREAN project interventions will improve productivity, resilience capacity and adaptation in agriculture, especially coffee, and contribute to mitigation of climate change while reducing poverty and creating jobs for women and youth, and it is in line with the climate change policy and governance framework of Uganda.

The project will promote climate-friendly stoves in line with the Improved Cookstoves for East Africa (ICSEA) CDM/Gold Standard project to these SPOs for the first time. Also, through briquette production, GREAN will make use of what would otherwise be waste – a product already available from the SPOs. There are similar energy-efficient cookstoves on the market in Uganda, however few use briquettes and not all burn briquettes efficiently; GREAN project will ensure that properly designed briquette-burning stoves that are recognised for their emissions are supplied and sold by women and youth, thus innovatively creating jobs for them. The project will innovatively introduce Producer Owned/ Fairtrade labelled coffee in Uganda for the first time, this will be locally processed and packaged Ugandan Robusta coffee, to the local market. GREAN project also aims to bring quality Robusta roast coffee to the East African market for the first time.

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Objective

•Capacity of 10,000 coffee farmers in 3 Small Producer Organisations to implement Sustainable Agricultural Land Management (SALM) practices strengthened
•Participation of three SPOs along the coffee value chain enhanced through organisational strengthening as well as through development of new local and regional markets
•Women and youth’s participation in decision-making in SPOs and households enhanced
•Access to and adoption of climate friendly energy cook stoves and coffee husk briquettes,...

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Results

•A total of 17,249 farmers organized in 405 groups were reached by the end of project implementation. Farmer field schools (FFS) were also established to support farmer to farmer learning. Organisation capacity assessments in terms of governance, management, marketing, sustainable agriculture and climate change awareness were conducted in the SPOs. Actions plans were then developed for capacity building on the identified gaps. 30 SPO staff,... •A total of 17,249 farmers organized in 405 groups were reached by the end of project implementation. Farmer field schools (FFS) were also established to support farmer to farmer learning. Organisation capacity assessments in terms of governance, management, marketing, sustainable agriculture and climate change awareness were conducted in the SPOs. Actions plans were then developed for capacity building on the identified gaps. 30 SPO staff, 81 farmer trainers and 405 farmer groups were trained on SALM practices which resulted in 13,972 farmers implementing SALM practices in their coffee gardens. The common practices included mulching (76.30%), use of compost manure (76.95%), and thinning and pruning in coffee (71.10%). Community tree nurseries were established to enable easy access to tree seedlings for the farmers.

•The 3 SPOs were supported to have product development plans, marketing and campaigning plans in place to carry out marketing campaigns to promote sale of coffee locally/regionally. They now have a Fairtrade certified coffee brand BUTONDE coffee which is also now certified by Uganda National Bureau of Standards. 98.1% of participating farmers acknowledged increased earnings from coffee.

•Project end line survey show that 85% of the participating farmers received gender training. 76% of the respondents reported joint planning and decision making in their households compared to 46% registered at baseline. There was reported increase of more transparency with family incomes at the household level between men and women. Households were taken through household road map tool which helps to provide understanding and ensuring joint decision making at household level. All SPOs now have gender policies and implementation plans. This guide to ensure women and youth are part of the leaderships and decision making processes.

•A total of 4,000 farmers using improved cook stoves were reached. They formed the base for generation of Fairtrade Carbon Credits (FCC) in the project. Women and youth were trained on how to sell and repair the cook stoves and produce coffee husks briquettes. 10 briquette making machines were distributed to SPOs to facilitate women and youth groups in the production of briquettes. An estimated net GHG emissions reductions of 517,147.80 tCO2e is expected in 20 years equivalent to Net Present Value (NPV) of 2,725,462.67€. A total of 79,617.01t CO2eq was sequestered by farmers adopting SALM practices and from use of improved cooking stoves.

•The farmers were also trained in gender concepts financial services and financial literacy.

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Sustainable Development Goals

Relevant links

Vi Agroforestry, Africa Fairtrade Network, Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative Union, Banyankole Kweterana Cooperative Union, Kibinge Coffee Farmers' Cooperative Society

Growing Resilient Agricultural Enterprises (GREAN) in Uganda

Time consumed

Lead Nordic partner

Country of Lead Nordic partner

Local partner(s)

Other partner(s)

NCF grant size

Total project cost

Technologies

Methods

Country of implementation:

Description

Objective

Results

Sustainable Development Goals

Relevant links

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