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UGANDA: ACHOLI TO BECOME A COFFEE HAVEN IF WE GET THINGS RIGHT – LEADING DEVELOPMENT EXPERT, MICHEAL OLOYA TEBERE

Tebere Elucidates Much Morel About Coffee


Michael Oloya Tebere, a development expert tells all about coffee and its potential to become an export commodity for Acholi (File photo).

 

GULU CITY:  DECEMBER 3, 2024

By Livingstone Okumu Langol

“The soil is good, the terrain is supportive, the climate is right but the politics and knowledge are glaring gaps that need to be breached if Acholi sub-region is to morph up into a leading coffee exporter in less than a decade,” says Mzee Abola, a farmer in Nwoya District. The comment follows an elaborate presentation by a development expert, Michael Oloya Tebere, December 3, 2024 at the Office of the Prime Minister in Gulu City.

Tebere’s presentation was a draft concept on a proposed coffee brand: Acholi Coffee/Omen Acholi. The concept was commissioned by Rocco Paco in conjunction with Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and the Office of the Prime Minister.

The concept indicates that the coffee production initiative will be based on five pillars. Pillar one is that the coffee will be organically shade-grown in regenerative polycultures. This meaning there will be shade trees inter-cropped with the coffee plants and that the shade trees and coffee will complement each other with minimal inputs such as fertilizers.

Pillar two is that Omen Acholi will be compliant to local and international regulations that include corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD) which obligates the Omen Acholi initiative to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence in all chains of activities. Besides, Omen Acholi will adhere to internationally acclaimed standards such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the US labor laws. The EUDR requires that products are deforestation-free and comply with in-country legislation on production backed by relevant documents to that effect. The US labor laws among others roots for non-exploitation of workers, safeguards workers’ safety and it is anti-child labor.

Pillar three is that Omen Acholi will have the following characteristics: single origin, specialty, commoditized, producer branded and fifth wave. Single origin means Omen Acholi will have designation of one-place origin with own story, and not a blend. Specialty means Omen Acholi will have a score in accordance with taste on a scale of 1-100. Commoditized means Omen Acholi will also be mass produced, blended and roasted for generic taste. Producer branded means Omen Acholi shall bear producer printed name and share its story on packaging. Fifth wave means Omen Acholi will be tailored to the Gen-Z and millennials, meeting their desires, needs, and aspirations. In short, it will care about the current consumers, market trends and standards.

Pillar four, Omen Acholi will be produced in a value circle for a circular economy. Production in a value circle means fairness in all value chain from suppliers to coffee growers, to coffee growers, coffee processors, marketeers etc. characterized by value for money, good remuneration, good pay in a circular economy. Circular economy takes care of the wellbeing of the coffee producing communities, and besid8es, aims at conserving and regenerating the natural resources and ecosystems to sustain production.

Pillar five, and very important is the pillar of adaptability to present and future trend including ethical production, well defined and conserved terroirs. Terroirs is a derivative from a French word meaning earth or soil but goes beyond earth or soil, including climate, altitude, the coffee growing and processing methods that give the coffee beans its signature, its variety and its uniqueness. Thus, Omen Acholi will have cup to farm traceability but also branding will help in indicating origin.

There will be the Omen Acholi presumption, that is the production of the coffee through participatory culture and value co-creation and synergy between producers and consumers.

If we are inflexible and cannot adopt or adapt to these standards, then we lose out, says Michael Oloya Tebere.

AMURU DISTRICT- DECEMBER 27, 2024

Chief Justice Lordship Alfonse Owiny Dollo Chigamoi addresses Gurre me Pongdwongo Convention, December 27, 2024 at Restore Leadership High School. The Chief Justice is also passionate about coffee growing in Acholi (Photo credit: UG Reports).

Meanwhile Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo Chigamoi, the Co-founder of Gurre Pongdwongo Acholi cultural revival, the chief guest during the meeting that took place at Restore Leadership High School surprised thousands of his audience by saying that in 50 years, Acholi Sub Region will a leading world coffee exporter.

“I want to tell you, if every household planted an acre of coffee, we are going to be a leading world coffee exporter. At the beginning of the 21st Century, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), introduced coffee in the mid-North sub region. This marked the beginning of the sub-region’s transition from dependency on annual crops, such as cotton to a perennial one.

Focusing mainly on the prospects and challenges of the coffee sector in the mid-North of Uganda, there is growing evidence in the sub-region that the systematic coffee planting by UCDA has yielded positive results in the sub region. On average, there are 16,000 farmers with 10,045 hectares of coffee, and in 2013 coffee output was 154 metric tons and projected to increase to 16,323 metric tons, as we talk now, if our people embraced coffee farming, we will get a million metric tons.

Dr. Kenneth Omona, state Minister of Northern Uganda Reconstruction Programme says on a sideline after Gurre me Pongdwongo that Northern Uganda Programmes is ready to support coffee farming. We are ready to train coffee farmers before the coffee seedling will be supplied to the out growers.

“The office of Prime Minister first will train coffee farmers before giving them high quality coffee seeds, we are going to create nursery beds in all the 9 districts in Acholi sub Region. We are going to distribute free coffee seedlings to all households,” Dr. Kenneth Omona said.

Michael Oloya Tebere, who doubled as the coffee expert for Gurre me Pongdwongo, and a Gen. Salim Saleh of Operation Wealth Creation says Acholi Sub Region has good opportunity to be the world’s leading coffee exporter. He supported Chief Justice Owiny Dollo Chigamoi’s remarks.

Tebere Elucidates Much Morel About Coffee

Michael Oloya Tebere echoed his earlier presentation on December 3, 2024 at the Prime Minister’s Office in Gulu City saying coffee farming is viable and needs to be pursued in the Acholi sub-region at all cost.

“Our coffee should connect producers and consumers through storytelling. Consumers in the developed world want to know the story behind the cup of coffee they are paying for.  “So, if they do not know, they will not feel good buying it. “Consumers are now becoming very conscientious,” Tebere says.

“They want to know what they are buying. How it was produced, and where it came from. You all see videos of a lot of mining in the Congo and then you are told that this is where the minerals that end up in the products you enjoy come from. “Then you ask yourself about the stories of human suffering despite the mineral riches in the D.R Congo. “These stories are important,” Tebere says.

“We have Arabica coffee that can grow well in the Lututuro range in Acholi. “I disagree with the nomenclature naming of our agro-ecological zones as grasslands, our zone should be named woodlands. “Each agro-ecological zones can produce their coffee with different tastes and profiles,” Tebere emphasized.

“But we should go into coffee farming while mindful of conservation. “We clear trees and forests to convert land for agriculture. “Since 1990, about 55% of natural forests have been eliminated and converted to other land uses. Forests that used to cover 20% of the country in 1990 were by 2015 reduced to 9%,” Tebere said.

“In growing coffee, agroforestry becomes a very important thing, shade is necessary for the coffee plant. “You don’t cut down the trees, plant your coffee amongst those trees,” Tebere emphasized.

“Our Honorable MP, Anthony Akol is a coffee grower but if Google Earth indicates that he was heavily cutting down trees to grow his coffee, then the European Union will not buy his coffee. The EU is against deforestation,” “And such technology does not lie, it will catch you,” Tebere informed.

“Another very important assessor of the coffee industry is an organization called the Rainforest Alliance. “The Rainforest Alliance has partnered with an organization called JTE Spirit. “What they do, they produce what is called an origin issue assessment report. “The origin issue assessment report has got 23 indices on which it assesses coffee and other crops.”

“In the case of Uganda, it was found that Uganda coffee has three issues. It scores very poorly on child labour, and we had a very high risk score of 4.1 out of 5. “And because of that, the buyers out there will say we will not buy your coffee because you use child labour. That is the first one. The second one where we also scored 4.1 out of 5 is harvest and post-harvest practices.

“Our harvest and post-harvest practices are poor. “Therefore, if actually coffee is to be sold, we must ensure one, no child labour, two, very good harvest and post-harvest practices. “The third one we failed in is the minimum wage risk. “

“So we must pay our workers a set minimum wage or above. So out of 23 indices there are three areas that Uganda coffee scores very poorly,” Tebere emphasized.

“Now that we know those basics about the Uganda coffee and Uganda and Uganda’s coffee industry, let us understand some unique things about the global coffee industry. “In the global coffee industry, there are some things that are very, very important that we must know. “The first one is that coffee is a tropical commodity.”

“There is what is globally called the coffee belt. The coffee belt is in three major regions. Central America, Africa, Eastern, Central Africa and then Asia along the equator.”

“In America, the South and Central American region we. have Brazil, Peru, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras Costa Rica etc. as producers, the bulk of the coffee they produce is Arabica.

“In Africa, from West Africa all the way through to Ethiopia and down to Mozambique, Congo and Angola, and our area, we have a very balanced mix of both Arabica and Robusta. “Asia also has a mix of Arabica and Robusta.”

“In each of these regions, the coffee profiles have separate tastes, distinctive tastes and that is why wherever you are as a coffee producer, your coffee will have a market because the region you are producing from has a distinctive taste different from another region. “So if we bring a coffee from the Central Americas, a coffee from Africa and a coffee from Indonesia, the three will be different in taste.

Coffee Waves

“Now let me now take you to what is called the waves of coffee. In the coffee industry, researchers started looking back at the time coffee was invented as a drink. “How has it developed? “And in that process, they came up with a term called coffee waves.

“So, the term coffee wave refers to a period of time within the coffee industry where big changes and innovations occurred. “Now there are many global cultural trends that have explained this and they have emerged during each of these waves. “So, some of these trends include consumer drinking habits, attitudes to coffee, how the outlets look, all of those have been changing over time.

“So, these changes are basically like mini-industrial revolutions in the coffee industry. “Now why are they important? “They are important because if you position yourself to sell your coffee at a time when the way you position yourself is out of fashion, you will lose out. “Today, if you wear pale cotton trousers and platform shoes, you are going to look very funny on the streets, isn’t it? “But in the 1970s you were very smart and stylish in that attire, isn’t it? “So. this is what we are also talking about.”

“Now, there are five waves, the first wave started since coffee was invented in the late 17th century. It ran on up to the early 20th century. “That first wave represented a shift from novelty to commodity.”

“The word commodity is very important for us because that will determine whether we make money out of coffee or we don’t. Now coffee started as a novelty. “This is where the Arabs started drinking, they borrowed it from Ethiopia, and found it very good. “Then rich people started drinking it, then eventually more and more trade bought it and took it to Europe. “Till it became so commonplace, it now adopted the status of a commodity.”

“So that is the first wave. “The second wave represents a shift from commodity to culture. “That became a very important shift from the early 20th century.

“Why? Drinking coffee became a cultural experience, a wave of life, a very important part of developing the developed world’s life. “You wake up in the morning, you start your morning with a cup of coffee, that became the culture. “That is the second wave of coffee from commodity, shift from commodity to culture.”

“The waves do not start and stop. “One wave enters into another, another wave starts on top of another and it continues. “The third wave represents a shift from culture to consumer awareness.”

“Those who are buying coffee say, oh come and we this commodity together, in cafes, sitting and talking. Coffee houses became places where revelations were actually being churned out. “All those discussions were being held in coffee houses.”

“After today, when you find us drinking coffee, you can be sure we are talking and plotting revolution. “Now, the thing about this third wave is that it represents a shift from culture to consumer awareness. The consumer said, I want to know where this coffee comes from and I want to know how it is produced.” “You know, markets are very sensitive to those things.”

“The fourth wave represents the shift from craft to science. What happened? Consumer awareness made the coffee industry begin making it a craft. “They began designing very nice machines for making the coffee. “You get a friend to press where if you grind your beans, it comes off very nicely. “They made machines that steams the milk, what you are seeing around in modern coffee shops now.”

“Big chains like Starbucks opened up because they could showcase these machines. “You walk into Starbucks and you are going to find glass cases with so many different coffee beans and then you say, I want this Brazilian coffee.” “Then they scoop the beans for you, put it in a roaster and say, how do you want it roasted? Then you say, what is a medium duck? Then they say with medium duck, you grind it on rosette.”

“Then they say, how do you want it pruned? Then you say, I want it a latte with milk or I want it plain black or I want it as an espresso, et cetera, et cetera. “That is what came up during that wave.”

“That was the fourth wave. “We then came to the fifth wave. “The fifth wave is the most complex.”

“What does it require? “Constantly scaling high quality to achieve a highly successful customer focused and sustained business outcome. “It is so difficult defining this phase wave, but it means you should always unconsciously keep repositioning and repositioning your coffee to address changes in customer preferences. “This is why we said, if this is what is happening in the world of coffee, we need to position the true farmer to sell at that highest possible market.”

“Now that is a brief explanation of how the global coffee industry was. “In that industry and through those waves, coffee has been selling in two main markets. There is what is called a commodity market and then there is what is called a specialty market.”

“The bulk of Uganda’s coffee sells sadly for us in the commodity market. “The commodity market means you buy coffee, you just set up your shop and say, I am buying coffee, bring your coffee and any farmer from wherever just brings their coffee. “The only thing you need to find out about the coffee is look at it and say, yeah, this looks good and then you pile it all together in as many stocks as you can, mix them all up and sell or export.”

“That is a commodity. Nobody care about where the beans came from, so long as beans have been brought together and bought, that is a commodity.”

Bernard Obwoyo, a coffee farmer in Koch Lii Sub County, Nwoya District is one of the coffee farmers producing coffee plantations in Koch Lii Sub County.

Upcoming Coffee Farmer in Acholi

Bernard Obwoyo returned to Uganda in 2008, having lived in in the UK for close to two decades during the Northern Uganda insurgency. He started a forestry project with some pine trees as part of climate change mitigation.

However, Bernard realized the shortfall and difficulties in paying school fees from income from pine trees and shifted to coffee and cocoa farming.

“As I talk to you, I have 16 hectares of coffee trees in Koch Lii Sub County. “I am even supporting my neighbors from Koch Lii sub County to grow coffee. “The money I am getting from coffee supports me to pay school fees for my children abroad,” Benard Obwoyo revealed.

Finally, a long-distance walk starts with one footstep from your house. So Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo Chigamoi and Amb. Dr. Olara Otunnu Acholi Convention beginning with Gurre me Pongdwongo 2023 may not be in vain. They want to hear the good news about revival, including informed coffee growing, and the development expert Tebere is there to captain the concept ship to anchor in the right dock.

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