CONTEXT

Coffee plays a leading role in the livelihood of Ugandans and contributes substantially to the national economy. Nearly 42% of farming households (1.7 million, 21% of the population) grow some coffee and coffee has contributed an average 30% to the country’s foreign exchange earnings over the past 20 years.The Government of Uganda regards coffee as a strategic commodity whose development should be accelerated to enhance agricultural production and productivity.Uganda has generally favourable farming conditions for coffee in terms of altitude, climate, rainfall and soils. Coffee is available throughout the year due to equatorial conditions. However many areas face declining soil fertility. Over the next 25 years, the effects of climate change pose real threats in terms of increasing temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events such as floods and droughts. This may affect pests and diseases prevalence.