Grounds for Change: Regenerative Coffee Farming in Uganda’s Rolling Hills

Across Uganda’s coffee-growing highlands, farmers like Ms Fatuma are feeling the strain of a changing climate. Unpredictable weather including more frequent storms are eroding soils, reducing yields, and threatening livelihoods that depend on coffee, one of Uganda’s most important export crops and a source of income for millions of smallholder households.

A Shared Challenge, and Opportunity

Coffee is not only central to Uganda’s economy but also to the social fabric of rural communities. For smallholders, it brings the income that pays for school fees, medical bills, livelihood security, and the hope of a better future. Yet, as the climate changes, these farmers face mounting risks. Regenerative agriculture, a collection of practices that restore soil health, increase biodiversity, and retain water, is emerging as one of the most effective ways through which farmers can adapt.

Recognizing both the urgency and potential, a partnership supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Least Developed Countries Fund brought together Nespresso, TechnoServe, Kyagalanyi Coffee Limited (KCL), and IUCN to pilot and scale regenerative approaches within Uganda’s coffee sector. The initiative builds on Nespresso Sustainable Quality Plan, which works to improve coffee quality and farmer livelihoods while promoting environmental and social sustainability.

Building Climate Resilience in the Rolling Hills

In Uganda’s Rolling Hills Nespresso cluster, KCL has established over 30 model farms, serving as practical training centers where farmers learn hands-on techniques to strengthen both productivity and resilience. To date, over 2’100 farming households have been trained on regenerative agriculture practices. These “farmer field schools” demonstrate regenerative and climate-smart practices such as rejuvenation, integrated pest and soil fertility management, intercropping, mulching, and the use of shade trees to protect crops and soils.

Provision of improved – more resilient – coffee seedling varieties and hands-on support to farmers on optimal replanting strategies further boost resilience, helping coffee farmers secure consistent harvests despite climate shocks.

Empowering Women and Strengthening Communities

Regenerative farming is not just about better agronomy; it’s about stronger, more equitable households and communities. Through Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), the project has set up and supported 88 savings groups, each bringing together 20–25 households. These groups, many of which are women-led, enable members to save collectively and access small loans for farm investments, health expenses, and education. Recognizing the importance of healthy households, and its links to wellbeing and environmental stewardship, the project also worked with households to construct energy saving stoves in 1’700 farm households using local materials .

In parallel, gender training sessions encourage joint household decision-making and shared financial planning. These activities are helping families manage risks, invest more confidently, and break down traditional barriers that limit women’s participation in farm and business decisions.

Results from the Field

The benefits are already visible. Farmers are reporting adaptation of regenerative practices, improved yields and quality, healthier trees, and better income stability. Model farms  demonstrate gains in productivity where regenerative practices are applied, and local agronomists note higher engagement and knowledge transfer among participants.

Munanira Joseph, who now hosts one of the model farms in her community, explains: “We used to think erosion was just something we had to live with. But when we saw how the soil stayed in place on the demo plot, everyone wanted to try.” 

Beyond individual farms, these changes are helping to build climate resilience across the wider landscape, improving soil quality and enhancing biodiversity, outcomes that support both environmental conservation and sustainable supply chains.

Partnerships for Scale

While private sector investment like Nespresso Sustainable Quality Plan has proven effective in reaching thousands of farmers, there remain significant barriers to scaling regenerative agriculture across Africa’s coffee-producing regions. Collaboration with development funders and technical partners offers a way to overcome these barriers, combining corporate reach and long-term market incentives with the resources and expertise needed to build resilient farming systems at scale.

This partnership enabled by the GEF demonstrates how aligned public-private efforts can deliver tangible benefits: improved livelihoods, stronger ecosystems, and sustainable coffee for future generations.

Looking Ahead

The lessons from Uganda’s Rolling Hills are already informing future efforts to strengthen the resilience of smallholder coffee farmers. The partners are exploring ways to expand successful interventions, from model farms and savings groups to gender-inclusive training, into other coffee-growing regions, ensuring that regenerative agriculture becomes a cornerstone of climate adaptation in the sector.

As Ms Fatuma reflects on her thriving farm, she smiles: “While we cannot change the weather, our farms are now better prepared for what lies ahead”.