Uganda Robusta Cherry 17

Sourcing Details

Focus on specialty coffee is on the rise in Uganda thanks in large part to export operations like Kawacom. The bulk of production comes from small family owned farms where coffee is cultivated on just a few acres of land intercropped with bananas, maize, potatoes and nuts.  Kawacom has helped producers improve their harvesting strategies, emphasizing the quality premiums associated with only picking cherries that have properly ripened.

Processing Details

There is a growing trend in the specialty coffee world to seek out the Robusta species, which is considered more tolerant to the impacts of climate changes than the Arabica species.  Robusta’s flavor profiles, which have a negative reputation, might improve significantly with some of the processing innovations previously reserved for Arabica coffee.Kawacom’s centralized mills support Robusta harvests from small farms so farmers do not have to invest in mill equipment.  Production is small enough for each individual farmer to focus on meticulous cherry sorting.  Kawacom helps farmers with transportation to the centralized mill and provides transparent purchasing options.  At the central mill,  the same care in handling arabica coffee is placed on the post harvest of Robusta.  Cherries are sorted and dried on raised beds.  Kawacom has made infrastructure innovations like drying structures that have greatly improved their ability to consistently meet quality standards for moisture content and water activity.

Exporting Details

Next the coffee is taken to the Kawacom dry-mill, which features a fully staffed cupping lab to ensure traceability and quality control throughout the post harvest process.  Kawacom has also helped train producers on best organic practices, which includes using materials like coffee pulp to make organic fertilizers creating an abundant source of plant nutrition that ensures better yields and quality.