Coffee flowers - turning waste into value with female farmers and socio-tech solutions

This 4 million EURO project explores coffee flowers and their potential as a global valuable resource that will enhance the livelihood income of 10 000 female small holders in Uganda. entrepreneurs in Uganda. The flowers have thus far been a neglected resource and considered waste in both Uganda and by the global lead firms. The local value capture can especially be beneficial to local women including the poorest segment of the women. The newness of the coffee flowers also allows for designing new global supply chain configurations. , introducing new technologies (i.e., ethical drones) for monitoring the coffee will allow for increasing the resilience of the industry and for experimenting with sustainable coffee production methods; drones reduce the vulnerability stemming from drought and allows for precision watering reducing water consumption. The implementation of this new product including design of a new sustainable supply chain will involve 10.000 women and simultaneously reduce their vulnerability while increasing their income and sustainable transitions.
Uganda depends highly on the agricultural sector, which is a key driver of economic growth, contributing 23,6% of GDP and employed 68% of the population. However, due to power and knowledge asymmetries in the global supply chains Global Multinational companies (MNCs) capture the main part of the value. Emerging sustainable sourcing practices involving social enterprises as suppliers to large corporation are now emerging in other sectors and has a significant potential for export of coffee flowers
Uganda has thus not been capable of realizing the full developmental potential of its agricultural sector. Rural Uganda therefor suffers from high unemployment, poverty, and gender inequalities. Moreover, climate change, drought and unpredictable rainfall has increased the vulnerability of the sectors affecting particularly women due to gender discrimination, lack of technical skills and access to resources.
The coffee industry suffers from similar problems as the rest of the agricultural sector. Despite being the second largest coffee producing country in Africa, employing 1,7 mio, and exporting for approximately US$500 mio. annually, it captures only a fragment of the value added which is captured by global brands/lead firms e.g., Nespresso.