A coffee stakeholder is anyone who has a direct or indirect interest in the coffee industry, surrounding the entire value chain from production to consumption.
On May 7, 2025, the Young Farmers’ Federation of Uganda organised a coffee stakeholders’ engagement at in Nakasero Plot 27 as discussions focused on how youth can tap into opportunities in the coffee value chain. These included representatives from cooperatives, coffee processors, and farmers, among others.
These had an opportunity to learn about the CoffeeXchange Program also known as the German-Ugandan Youth Exchange for Sustainable Economic Partnerships in the coffee sector. It is implemented by UNYFA and Schorlemer Stiftung with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, (BMZ).
Addressing the coffee stakeholders, Denis Kabiito, CEO, UNYFA, said, “The background of this project is that we are looking at coffee, a major livelihood of the Global South, because of the challenges that the value chain faces, such as unequal distribution of profits and precarious working conditions that persist. Therefore, we saw it as important, as different stakeholders use this program, to have an ideal field for everybody. The issues that are affecting the lower side of the coffee value chain sometimes stem from those that are consuming it. Like in Europe, these may include the standards, like organic standards.”
He adds, “We want to try to provide a learning field for those that are on both the upper and lower sides of the coffee value chain such that in the long run we will have different people globally with the same level of thinking about the coffee value chain.”
Kabiito explained that the coffee exchange program is going to focus on how young people from Uganda and Germany can acquire knowledge for innovative, sustainable business ideas through practical experience.
“The CoffeeXchange is going to focus on how young people from both Uganda and Germany can acquire knowledge for innovative, sustainable business ideas through practical experience, and to what extent the partnerships that emerge can contribute to fair trade conditions and improved incomes for Ugandan coffee farmers,” he revealed.
“This exchange is going to provide us with a platform on how German youth and Ugandans can come up with good ideas that can contribute to fair distribution of trade but also income distribution at the lower levels. It will also contribute to one of the sustainable development goals.”
About the CoffeeXchange Program
The CoffeeXchange is also known as the German-Ugandan Youth Exchange for Sustainable Economic Partnerships in the Coffee Sector.
The CoffeeXchange Duration is May 2025 to March 2026.
The CoffeeXchange pursues several goals namely;
- Developing a deeper understanding of the entire coffee value chain.
- Developing a differentiated understanding of working conditions and trade practices in the coffee sector.
- Broadening perspectives on global economic relationships through intercultural exchange.
- Developing concrete business concepts for sustainable, fair-trade partnerships.