UGANDA BUGISU COFFEE

Bugisu Co-Op Union Limited is one of the oldest cooperatives in Uganda and was formed in 1954 to wrest control of the coffee trade away from Ugandan’s colonial masters to the benefit of its local farmers.  The Co-Op is owned by small coffee farmers who grow Arabica coffee that was first introduced to the area in 1912.

The coffee grows on the volcanic slopes of Mount Elgon on the Ugandan side of the border with Kenya. It is grown on small gardens by individual farmers in households where women assume responsibility for growing coffee which often is the family’s only source of income.  The coffee is grown on an organic basis with limited use of fertilizers and harvested between November and December every year; however, is processed using the Anaerobic Pura Cera Fermentation process.  

Pura Cepa is a Latorre & Dutch project aimed at using wine science to improve the quality of coffee.  It improves the quality of the coffee by improving the fermentation processes through an anaerobic method (without oxygen) that enhances the taste of the coffee and draws out desired high cupping rates.  The improved taste of coffee benefits the consumer with great tasting coffee while the premium prices for the desired cupping rates benefits the farmer and helps ensure an adequate income.