Story
Despite our longtime affinity for East African coffees and coffee-growing communities, this is our first season sourcing an offering from Uganda, a country best known for its prolific production of Robusta, the higher-yielding and less-tasty cousin to specialty Arabica coffee. We were drawn to this supply chain primarily for its participation in the NKG Bloom program—a global initiative that, in their own words, “focuses on offering producers three key offerings: mobile money advances, professional assistance in agriculture and business best practices; and soil analysis and fertilizer application.” For especially close followers of Dispatch’s menu, NKG Bloom may ring a bell—we’ve twice represented their Mexican chapter, Zongolica. With a decent working relationship and broad understanding of the initiative’s philosophy, we were eager to explore additional origins, and were downright dazzled by the quality of both the wet and dry process samples we received from Uganda early this winter. With watermelon and green apple candy, starfruit and a full and juicy body, this “natural” felt like a perfect debut for this country as it continues to establish a new identity for specialty. The Bulambuli Kwigaite cooperative itself is in eastern Uganda, near the Kenyan border, in the foothills of Mt. Elgon. Built in 2022, it works with about 1,100 farmers who deliver cherries from the surrounding area, growing SL14, KP162, SL28 and KP423 varieties across elevations ranging from 1,500 - 2,050 meters above sea level. To ensure cleanliness and clarity in their dry process offerings, the drying is supervised by experienced professionals who monitor the process meticulously. Though always a work in progress, NKG Bloom’s efforts in Uganda have already achieved measurable success. As NKG reports, “an external independent survey found that farmers enrolled in NKG Bloom have, on average, registered a 187 percent yield increase and a net coffee income increase of 189 percent,” and though these metrics are relative, they certainly represent a positive reorientation of the status quo in these communities. By the end of this year, they aspire to grow their membership by another 1,000 producers, and to continue strengthening their efforts in financing, education, and market access across the board. In the cup, we taste watermelon, candied apple and starfruit.
