From Ugandan Farms to Belgian Cups

Blogberichtomschrijving

10/27/20262 min read

UGANDAN COFFEE ALREADY CONNECTS UGANDA & BELGIUM

Did you know?

In January 2026, Belgium was the fifth largest destination for Ugandan coffee exports by volume. This trading relationship provides a practical foundation for partnerships between producers, processors, importers and investors.

The official January 2026 report records 34,996 bags of 60 kg shipped to Belgium, comprising 19,470 bags of Robusta and 15,526 bags of Arabica. This represents 2,099.76 tonnes and 6.15% of the total volume exported that month. Belgium ranked behind Italy, Germany, Sudan and India.

These figures refer to the declared destination of exports. They measure neither final consumption in Belgium nor Belgium’s share over a full year. Some coffee may subsequently be distributed to other markets. Nevertheless, the finding is clear: trade between the two countries is already established.

Developing businesses around coffee :

BUBA Kampala’s view is that opportunities for collaboration extend beyond buying beans. Quality control, lot preparation, packaging, traceability and inventory financing are all areas to explore with the businesses concerned. Roasting at origin also warrants assessment, taking freshness, logistics and buyers’ expectations into account.

Partners already working on the ground :

Rikolto, an organisation headquartered in Leuven, documents a low-carbon coffee project in Uganda with ETG and the NGI - Norwegian Geotechnical Institute. Its June 2025 feature identifies Vincent Amodoi as Programme Advisor for Cocoa and Coffee in Uganda, and Steven Kamya as a farmer and trainer. The project trained 1,971 farmers between June 2023 and December 2024.

An entry point for businesses :

CBI | Transforming Trade Together, a Dutch public agency, works with seven Ugandan exporters through its Uganda climate-smart coffee programme and is seeking European partners. Its project page lists Ndugu Coffee Farmers and Gorilla Highlands Coffee, among others, and names Mylène Vermunt as a contact. CBI | Transforming Trade Together specifies that it facilitates connections and does not provide funding.

A question for businesses :

Which partnerships could secure supplies for Belgian buyers while improving quality, skills and value creation in Uganda? Lasting cooperation can be built on identified needs and realistic commercial commitments.

Sources and featured companies :

Official January 2026 report — Annex 3 page 9 : https://lnkd.in/eD2Vp5aY -
Rikolto — Change brewing in Uganda : https://lnkd.in/e-tth3sv
CBI | Transforming Trade Together — Ugandan coffee programme and partners : https://lnkd.in/ebkA6SpX
Ndugu Coffee — company listed by CBI : https://ndugu.coffee/
Gorilla Highlands Coffee — company listed by CBI : https://lnkd.in/eFABvS_V

Coffee cherries in Uganda. Photo published by Rikolto in its Change brewing feature, June 2025.

Quick Links

Contact