B2B Rwenzori Fairtrade Coffee 
    Coalition
   Contents
   •Why B2B and twinning? What’s 
      it got to do with Fairtrade?
   •Which B is linking to which B in this        this 
   initiative?
   •Role of the FT Town Groups
   •Wider Collaboration
   •Pilot Plan: Coordination, Steps and
      Timing
    B2B Rwenzori Fairtrade Coffee 
    Coalition
    Goals of this Initiative
    1.Build a network of fairtrade activists, local businesses and small-
    holder coffee cooperatives to do regular, direct and rewarding 
    business together as part of “Building Back Fairer” after COVID
    2.Develop an effective operation: consumer mobilization, business 
    engagement, discreet and traceable supply logistics from 
    producers in Uganda to our high streets across the UK
    3.Develop exchange of information and a deeper connection 
    between consumers and small-holder producers
    Why B2B and twinning? What's it 
    got to do with Fairtrade?
    • B2B = Business to Business
    Direct connection for promoting traceable and meaningful 
     relationships and sustainable, mutually beneficial economic 
     development between enterprises that care
    • Twinning = form of legal or social agreement between two 
     geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose 
     of promoting cultural and commercial ties
    Local shops and businesses which actively support Fairtrade can 
     partner and connect with specific cooperatives more directly
                                                                                                           Introducing Kabonero 
              Which B to which B? Mountainous Coffee Cooperative 
                                                                                                           Society in the Rwenzori 
                                                                                                           “Mountains of the Moon”
              •   Coffee is the most important source of cash income in this district 
              •   Established 2013 - Fairtrade Certified since 2015: currently working for Organic Certification
              •   Members – men: 463, women 138
              •   Selling FT Coffee to UK since 2015, sold in T K Maxx 
              •   Won ‘best coffee’ award in competition 2020 organized by Mark Up – a programme of the International Trade Centre (ITC)
              The Cooperative promotes:
              •   An endowment fund where each member contributes 1kg of coffee to the cooperative
              •   Increasing household income improved from UGX Sh/- 400,000 before the cooperative was formed to UGX 1.8M per year.
              •   Solar energy: (78% of households use solar energy were recorded in Kabonero Mountainous Coffee Cooperative Society 
              •   Savings culture: (Savings and Loans Association) which is used most often (47%) for education costs (fees, uniforms, books)
              •   Community Women’s Group has revolving loan to grow/sell tomatoes, groundnuts, acquired land for the group (growing bananas). 
              •   Food security: 94% are now eating 3 meals per day [2020 review], 
              •   Equal opportunity for men and women: who plan together and participate in a common market organized by their cooperative. In 
                  the past, women had limited opportunities to participate and when they did, income was managed by men and left them 
                  disempowered.  
     Which B to which B?  Introducing Buka-Bughendera 
                                    Farmers’ Cooperative Society in 
     Introducing Buka               the in the Rwenzori “Mountains of 
                                    the Moon”
     Coffee is the most important source of cash income in this district 
     Buka-Bughendera Farmers’ Cooperative Society (founded 2015, registered as a coop in 2017)
     Buka means ‘wake up from sleeping!’
     Members: 238 men, 65 women
     Where: Busamba , Karangitsio and Bupomboli Upper Bundibugyo district of Western Uganda on 
     border with DRC
     Near to completing: fairtrade, organic and Smithsonian Institute bird-friendly certification. This will 
     be a first in Uganda!
     2018, coffee exhibited by Buka at the Africa Trade Show in Kigali was ranked #3 on the African 
     continent
     in 2019-20 Buka experienced climate change as destructive floods and landslides which swept away 
     houses, possessions, farms and drowned whole families; Buka and RSTC and raised funds to support 
     every affected family and provided the means (food/books/pens) to keep children in school during 
     reconstruction efforts
     The coop is actively reducing food insecurity by promoting other food crops  and supplies sanitary 
     pads to keep girls in school