NFU President Minette Batters is among a group of British farmers who will meet Ugandan coffee farmers taking part in a Farm Africa project at a webinar organised by the charity on #GivingTuesday, the international day of giving, on 1 December.
Along with NFU Deputy President Stuart Roberts, NFU North East Director Adam Bedford and NFU Cymru member and host of the Rock and Roll Farming Podcast Will Evans, Minette ran the London Marathon in 2019 to raise funds for Farm Africa’s Coffee is Life appeal.
Donations to the appeal were matched pound for pound by the UK Government’s UK Aid Match scheme, which is now funding Farm Africa’s work in Kanungu, western Uganda, helping female farmers to thrive in the coffee sector.
The webinar will introduce the four runners, together with Farm Africa supporter and North-East Area NFU regional chairman Rachel Hallos, to Grace Arineitwe, Hildah Turyamusiima and Patience Ninsiima, participants in the Farm Africa project.
Despite women in Kanungu being the backbone of the area’s coffee industry, which fuels the local economy, many do not benefit from the profits. While female coffee farmers provide the bulk of the labour, it is men that tend to have control over the profits.
Farm Africa’s project aims to close the gender gap in the coffee industry in Kanungu by providing women like Grace, Hildah and Patience with access to finance and land, creating inclusive businesses, changing attitudes and unpicking myths surrounding women’s value and contributions to the industry.
Mother of seven Grace Arineitwe is Chairperson of the Kayonza coffee growers’ cooperative. She farms coffee on half an acre of land given to her by her husband and has improved the quality of the coffee she produces following training from Farm Africa.
Grace commented:
“Now, I have joined Farm Africa and this move has made a difference in the way I farm coffee. This has improved the quality of the coffee I sell. In the near future, I would like to be a big farmer, producing high-quality products, build a nice-looking house and see my children get high quality education.”
Mother of one son Hildah Turyamusiima is treasurer of the Banyakinkizi coffee producers and processors cooperative. She farms coffee on an acre of land given to her by her husband under a voluntary land use agreement facilitated by Farm Africa.
Hildah commented: “Natively, coffee has been predominantly a man’s crop. My goal is to build a family house with my husband with the savings from our coffee sales. Our plan is to sell our coffee directly to exporters for better prices.”
Treasurer of the Rugyeyo Organic farmers’ cooperative society, teacher, coffee farmer and mother of four boys Patience Ninsiima has increased her yields of coffee and developed improved business skills with support from Farm Africa.
Patrience commented: “Farm Africa taught us good methods of farming and emphasised looking at farming as a business. Now, my family is able to cater for the school fees using our improved income because I practise good farming practices.”
The webinar will feature videos of the three coffee farmers on their farms in Kanungu, as well as discussion between the British and Ugandan farmers, and an opportunity for viewers to post questions to the panel.
