Reviving Origins program: Nespresso launches Ugandan coffee from Rwenzori Mountains

26 May 2020 --- Nespresso has unveiled Amaha awe Uganda, “Hope of Uganda,” a new and seasonal coffee from the Rwenzori Mountains – a result of the company’s Reviving Origins program designed to preserve the future of some of the world’s rarest and most exquisite coffees. Launched in 2019, the initiative aims to restore coffee production in regions where it is under threat. The launch of new Ugandan coffee marks the second year of success for Nespresso’s Reviving Origins program, following productivity boost in regions in Zimbabwe and Colombia.

In Uganda, climate change, poor farming practices and economic hardship has meant that the production of high-quality coffee has been a challenge in recent years. As part of the Reviving Origins program and in partnership with Agri Evolve, a young agribusiness dedicated to improving farmer productivity, Nespresso is working with more than 2,000 farmers, providing training and expertise to improve coffee quality and productivity in addition to establishing sustainable farming practices.

“Coffee is the lifeblood of entire communities across the globe. In many regions, coffee farming is threatened for reasons such as climate change, conflict and a shifting global economy. Through the Reviving Origins program, Nespresso provides support to struggling coffee farming areas and helps breathe new life into local economies and, most importantly, communities in these regions,” says Guillaume Le Cunff, CEO of Nespresso.

Formally launched in 2019, the Reviving Origins program aims to revive coffee agriculture and local coffee economies in regions affected by adversities such as conflict, economic hardship and environmental disasters. 

The program provides support to rebuild sustainable livelihoods for farmers and their communities while preserving the future of some of the world’s rarest, most exquisite coffees. Nespresso is investing a total of CHF 10 million (US$10.3 million) in the program over a period of five years (2019-2023). The Reviving Origins program is an integral part of the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program, the brand’s sustainable sourcing model in coffee producing countries.

“Our partnership with Nespresso enables us to provide ongoing support to the Rwenzori coffee farmers. Through community projects and teamwork, growth and development are not only within the coffee farm but also in the improved environmental and social standards of the community,” Jonny Rowland, Owner and Managing Director of Agri Evolve says. The Rwenzori coffee farmers now have the opportunity to share their premium quality coffee with the world, leading to higher household incomes as well as giving communities and families confidence for a sustainable future in coffee farming for the generations to come, he comments.

Hope of Uganda’ in Lhukonzo, a local language in Uganda, is a single-origin coffee that carries rare sandalwood notes and elegant florals with medium acidity and body. An intensity eight espresso, Amaha awe Uganda grows in a unique terroir, where shade and nutrients provided by banana trees create a true Arabica dreamland. In a Latte Macchiato, the biscuit and discrete fruity notes come alive in a balanced and sweet cup.

The Amaha awe Uganda coffee is available in 31 countries alongside Reviving Origins coffees Tamuka mu Zimbabwe and Esperanza de Colombia –- both back for 2020 following their initial launch last year.

The Reviving Origins program’s long-term aim is to establish these under threat coffees as permanent blends, available all year round for consumers, by helping farmers to increase the quality and the yield of their coffee, which brings crucial economic benefits for the regions involved, and leverages strong partners in each of the origins.

Since its launch, the program has already been a significant success in Zimbabwe and Caquetá, Colombia, two regions where coffee production has been under threat in recent years.

In Zimbabwe, coffee production has been under pressure for a number of years, falling from 15,000 tons in the late 1980s to just 500 tons in 2017. In Colombia, almost 50 years of conflict has meant many farmers abandoned their lands and coffee almost disappeared from Caquetá and El Rosario.

In both countries, Nespresso provides continuous training on quality and productivity, as well as free technical assistance through its agronomist network. It also addresses infrastructure challenges that exist in these areas by building wet mills or helping to establish coffee cooperatives.

As a result, productivity has increased. The availability of AAA high quality coffee has grown by 9 percent in the Manicaland province of Zimbabwe and 10 percent in Caquetá, Colombia, from 2018 to 2019.

Blockchain technology unlocks transparency 
This year, Nespresso is, for the first time ever, making its AAA Sustainable Quality Program data publicly available using blockchain technology. Introduced for Zimbabwe initially, a new Nespresso platform traces the AAA coffee from farms in Zimbabwe all the way through to the Nespresso production centre in Switzerland. Through the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program, the company has had a traceability process in place since the program’s inception in 2003, making it possible to track coffee back to individual farms.

Users of the blockchain platform will be able to zoom in on specific farms, where they can find a breakdown of the total coffee produced at farm level and the amount of high quality coffee bought by Nespresso.

“We know that consumers are more and more interested to know where their coffee is coming from. Thanks to our AAA Sustainable Quality Program, we have had traceability back to individual farms in our value chain for over 15 years. I am pleased that tThanks to this blockchain initiative, we can now take it one step further and invite our customers to discover the farmers behind their Tamuka mu Zimbabwe TAMUKA mu ZIMBABWE coffee,” Le Cunff concludes.

By Gaynor Selby 

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