From price-takers to market-makers
Ugandan project farmers become part of a farmer-owned company, the Uganda Coffee Farmers Alliance (UCFA)
In the early hours of the afternoon a truck arrives at the Ibero coffee processing plant. Five men from the villages of Miseebe, Kitenga, Kakindu, Nabumbugu and Kiteredde have been on the road for over 3 hours, transporting a load of 14 Mt of FAQ, the vernacular for unsorted green coffee beans. The 5 men carrying the coffee on behalf of their Depot Committees (farmer groups) arrived in Kampala with business on their mind. Prior to their departure they have been in touch with several buyers and this time the best price was offered by Ibero Coffee Exporters. Only 3 years ago these farmers were selling their coffee at much lower prices at farm gate to middlemen; in fact they were fully dependent on middlemen for market access.