GSIF Africa

Action title: Strengthening Smallholder Coffee Farming in Uganda About the company: This Ugandan cooperative brings together thousands of smallholder coffee farmers, guaranteeing access to international markets, fair pricing, technical training, sustainability certifications, and social premiums. By exporting organic and fair-trade coffee, it boosts farmer incomes, reinforces sustainability, and strengthens local cohesion.

• Founded: 2006 
• Operating in: Uganda
• Fund: GSIF Africa
• Asset class: Senior debt

Impact highlights

• 94,500 lives impacted
• 21,000 smallholder farmers supported
• 40% of farmers are women

The challenge Coffee is a vital source of income for millions of smallholder farmers across Africa, yet they face persistent challenges:

• Limited access to credit, savings, and technical support and low bargaining power
• Barriers to meeting international certification and quality standards 
• Vulnerability  

Uganda is Africa’s largest coffee exporter, yet most farmers work on tiny plots with few resources. According to the 2024 Coffee Farmer Thriving Index, over one-third of Ugandan coffee farmers saw no profits last year, and nearly half were unable to save any income. The solution    [Cooperative network + Access to credit, technical support and global markets + Sustainable, certified coffee production] The cooperative provides smallholder coffee farmers with fair access to international buyers, pre-financing for harvests, technical support through agronomists and university partnerships, and continuous progress toward social and environmental certifications. The impact

• 21,000 smallholder farmers supported, up from 14,000 at the start of the loan
• 39% of farmers are women; 12% are youth
• 162 direct employees, with 25% women and 59% under age 30
• 8 sustainability certifications achieved (organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, etc.)
• 10% price difference gained by cooperative farmers compared to non-member farmers
• 2 recent community infrastructure improvements completed (including school sanitation)
• 3,000 trees planted to protect coffee plants and soil

  Why we invested 

• Strong sector relevance: Coffee is Uganda’s largest export and a key livelihood for millions
• Inclusive cooperative model: Empowers farmers, pools resources, and amplifies market access
• Environmental impact: Drives sustainable and certified production, improving long-term climate resilience
• Solid management and technical capacity: Experienced leadership, agronomic expertise, and strong local governance
• Transformation potential: Combines scale, social focus, and capacity to reshape Uganda’s smallholder coffee system

  GSI’s role With GSI’s financing, the cooperative is:

• Pre-financing coffee purchases and reducing reliance on expensive debt
• Strengthening its negotiating power in international markets
• Expanding support services for its member farmers

Together, we are helping transform Uganda’s smallholder coffee system into a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable engine of rural development.   Quote: “It is reassuring for ACPCU to work with such a like-minded partner as GSI on this transformative journey of the last mile farmer.” Derick Komwangi, Projects Officer