How 30 Model Farms Are Making Uganda’s Coffee Drought-Proof
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📰 The quick summary: Ugandan robusta coffee farmers in the Masaka region are producing larger, better-quality yields even during droughts by adopting regenerative agriculture techniques like mulching, cover cropping, and drought-resistant seedlings.
📈 One key stat: 30 model farms were established in Uganda’s Masaka region to teach regenerative farming practices, already delivering visible improvements in yields, tree health, and income stability for local coffee growers.
💬 One key quote: “My coffee is stronger and more promising, and so is my family,” said Nakalisa Mary Fatuma, a smallholder robusta coffee farmer in Masaka.
1️⃣ The big picture: Coffee farming in Uganda’s Masaka region faces growing threats from erratic rainfall and drought, putting both livelihoods and the country’s economy at risk. To address this, a coalition including the Global Environment Facility, Nespresso, Uganda’s largest licensed coffee exporter, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature established 30 model farms to teach regenerative agriculture to local smallholder farmers. Regenerative agriculture covers a range of techniques, from simple mulching to cover cropping and shade tree planting, all aimed at building healthier soils and more resilient crops. Farmers visit these demonstration plots to gain hands-on experience and access drought-resistant seedling varieties they can then plant across their own land. Results are already showing up on the ground, with farmers reporting stronger trees, improved yields, better quality beans, and more stable incomes.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Farmers who previously had no choice but to accept soil erosion and crop losses from drought are now watching their coffee plants thrive even when rains are unreliable. Regenerative practices build healthier topsoil over time, meaning the land itself becomes more productive and resilient with each passing season rather than degrading. Better yields and higher quality beans translate directly into stronger, more stable incomes for smallholder farmers and their families. Scaling this approach across Uganda and other coffee-growing regions could help buffer global coffee supplies against climate volatility, which has been a key driver of coffee price spikes in recent years. More resilient farming systems also reduce the pressure to clear new land for agriculture, supporting biodiversity and forest conservation across tropical regions.
3️⃣ What’s next: Farmers across the Masaka region can now visit the model farms to learn techniques and collect drought-resistant seedlings for their own plantations. If the program continues to expand, more smallholder farmers across Uganda’s coffee belt could adopt these practices. Broader success in Masaka could serve as a template for similar regenerative agriculture programs in other coffee-growing countries facing climate stress.
Read the full story here: Good News Network – Ugandan Coffee Growers Shrug Off Drought Thanks to Regenerative Agriculture
