The new frontier in specialty coffees - eastern DR Congo

After 50 years of decline and neglect, the coffee sector in eastern DR Congo has seen a remarkable resurgence over the last decade. Blessed with optimal growing conditions, farmers have now demonstrated that their Arabica coffee can reach the pinnacles of quality, matching the achievements of producers in Ethiopia and Kenya. 

In this webinar, Farm Africa’s DR Congo team and specialty coffee trader Susan Heller Evenson discussed how the organisation is working in partnership with the Virunga Foundation to support coffee cooperatives on the borders of Virunga National Park to capture the attention and interest of premium and specialty coffee roasters, and improve their processing infrastructure, business management and training in coffee quality. 

Our expert panel of speakers outlined Farm Africa’s future plans in the wider region to help more farmers build livelihoods in the coffee sector and escape endemic poverty.

Host and Moderator: Petronella Halwiindi – Country Director, Uganda and DR Congo, Farm Africa.

Panellists: Richard Hide - Coffee value chain expert.
Emmanuel Ntirata Ntale - Project coordinator, DR Congo, Farm Africa.
Susan Heller Evenson - Green coffee trader, Atlas Coffee Importers.

Building farmers’ resilience to climate extremes

To coincide with the COP26 global climate conference, this webinar focused on building farmers’ resilience to climate extremes. Unpredictable weather patterns and climate extremes are threatening farmers and pastoralists who rely on rainfall to feed livestock, grow crops and make a living from agriculture. Farm Africa is helping rural communities to gain access to the skills, knowledge, inputs and access to finance they need to build resilience to climate extremes.

Host and Moderator: Petronella Halwiindi: Country Director – Uganda, Farm Africa.

Panellists: Charles Kainkwa: Technical Services Specialist - Tanzania, Farm Africa.
Asaye Asnake: Programme Manager - Ethiopia, Farm Africa.

Youth agribusiness

To mark World Food Day on 16 October, our panel of experts discussed how we can ensure young people in rural communities are involved in the development of sustainable agri-food systems.

Lack of knowledge around quality requirements, access to finance and land, and experience in engaging with private buyers means that most young people are held back from making a success of commercial agriculture.

With funding from Aldi UK, UK aid from the UK government and the Medicor Foundation, Farm Africa's Growing Futures project is helping young adults in western Kenya to increase their incomes by growing vegetables that sell commercially to local and export markets. The initiative gives participants the agronomic knowledge, business training and access to finance they need to build thriving businesses.

Host and Moderator: Caroline Asiimwe - Regional Technical Manager - Markets and Value Chains, Farm Africa.

Panellists:
Dr Dave Watson - Senior Livelihoods Adviser - Regional Food Trade and Resilience, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Jane Ngige - Farm Africa trustee and Vice Chair of the Agriculture Sector Network (ASNET), Kenya.
Stephen Muguna - Growing Futures Project Co-ordinator, Farm Africa.
Joseph Kiplagat - Farmer and Growing Futures participant.

Women’s Empowerment through Agricultural Entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa

 More than 60% of the women in sub-Saharan Africa work in agriculture, yet, many of these women do not have access to land and face challenges that undermine their economic rights and entrepreneurship opportunities.

This webinar was brought to you by Farm Africa and Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. Our expert panel of speakers explored the state of entrepreneurship for women working in agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa and drew on Farm Africa’s work with women smallholder farmers in Tanzania and Cherie Blair Foundation for Women’s work empowering women to start, grow and sustain successful businesses. 

Host and Moderator: Laketch Mikael, Farm Africa trustee.

Panellists:
Lilian Mwamdanga - Programme Specialist and Head of Women’s Economic Empowerment, UN Women Tanzania.
Sian Hawkins - Director of External Affairs, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.
Beatrice Merian Muliahela - Tanzania Programmes Manager, Farm Africa.
Ejiro Jakpa - CEO and founder of Nicnax Enterprises, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women programme participant.

Coffee is life

Host: Will Evans, Rock and Roll Farming podcast
Panellists: Minette Batters, NFU President
Stuart Roberts, NFU Deputy President
Adam Bedford, NFU North East Regional Director
Rachel Hallos, NFU North East Regional Chair
Grace Arineitwe, Chair, Kayonza coffee cooperative
Hildah Turyamusiima, Treasurer, Banyakinkizi coffee cooperative
Patience Ninsiima, Treasurer, Rugyeyo organic coffee cooperative

Panellists Grace Arineitwe, Hildah Turyamusiima and Patience Ninsiima are Ugandan farmers taking part in Farm Africa’s coffee project in Kanungu, which is funded by matched funding from the UK government for Farm Africa’s 2019 Coffee is Life UK Aid Match appeal.

The webinar’s host Will Evans, and panellists Minette Batters, Stuart Roberts, Adam Bedford and Rachel Hallos are British farmers who raised funds for the appeal. The webinar explored the common challenges and opportunities faced by farmers worldwide, as well as focused on the barriers holding back women from thriving in the Ugandan coffee sector and heard updates on the progress of Farm Africa’s work helping female coffee farmers to thrive.

From Covid-19 and locusts to greener pastures

It’s been a challenging year for Farm Africa, but our support for farmers in eastern Africa hasn’t stopped – we’ve learnt so much over the last few months and we must now look ahead to greener pastures.

Our panel explored the challenges Farm Africa has faced and the impact that Covid-19 and the desert locust invasion have had on our programmatic work. Our panel discussed the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on horticulture farmers and rural households in Trans Nzoia county in western Kenya and talked about the devastating impact that the locust invasion has had on the Horn of Africa and what that could mean for farmers now and in the future. The panel also took questions from the audience.

Goat Power

Farm Africa is unlocking the power of goats to transform the lives of pastoralist women and their families living in the drylands of South Omo in Ethiopia and Karamoja in Uganda.

We heard Farm Africa experts, Yasmin Abdulwassie, Meron Yomcwiny and Dr Emmanuel Egaru, discuss how Farm Africa's Livestock for Livelihoods project, supports pastoralist women in Karamoja, Uganda and South Omo, Ethiopia to rear goats, increase their incomes and improve their families' nutrition.