Mount Elgon, Uganda

Work

Restoring coffee farmlands with regenerative agriculture

Restoring coffee farmlands with
regenerative agriculture

By implementing regenerative agriculture interventions, our partner RAIN (a brand of Aidenvironment) aims to restore coffee farmlands on the northern slopes of Mount Elgon, Uganda.

The northern slopes of Mount Elgon are characterized by a mountainous landscape with fertile volcanic soils. Farmers in the area greatly depend on these fertile soils for their livelihoods.

In the past many of the farmers in the area used their land to produce Arabica coffee. However, due to low coffee prices and lack of access to coffee markets, many farmers shifted to the production of annual crops. These crops are less suitable for the hilly Mount Elgon landscape as they often lead to environmental degradation such as soil erosion, riverbank degradation and polluted soil and water resources.

Through implementing landscape restoration interventions (like riverbank stabilisation through planting bamboo) and regenerative farming methods (like mulching, digging trenches and applying organic fertilizer from biodigesters), landscapes can be restored. At the same time, improving coffee production and developing coffee market linkages can turn coffee into a profitable opportunity for farmers again. Justdiggit supports the Mount Elgon project with its expertise on media and communication.

Expected impact

33,000

hectares regenerated land

20%

more income for farmers

Improved production and quality

of Arabica coffee

The power of
media and communication

Justdiggit uses media and communication to increase the effect of (large scale) landscape restoration.

Justdiggit uses media and communication to increase the effect of (large scale) landscape restoration. Over the years we gained knowledge and a lot of experience on how to develop and implement different communication approaches and build up a large network of media partners globally. With this media and communication power we now support the Mount Elgon project of RAIN. For example, we developed a coffee farm calendar on which the farmers can see when they need to apply which intervention on their land, helping to increase the coffee production.

Coffee farmers digging trenches between the crops to harvest rainwater

Green Future Farming

The project in Mount Elgon is part of the Green Future Farming (GFF) program, an initiative from RAIN, MetaMeta, and Justdiggit. Green Future Farming is a four-year project aimed at showing how in three completely different landscapes, in three different countries (Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya), regenerative agriculture can benefit both farmers and the environment. By combining investment in landscape restoration and management, mainstreaming regenerative agriculture, and strengthening local value chains, the project aims to make rural economies more dynamic.

What makes the GFF program special is the fact that each organization not only runs its own local program, but also supports the other programs within its own expertise. The ultimate goal of these programs is to create a green future for many, particularly for women and young people, in different parts of East Africa. The program is supported by IKEA Foundation.

Watch the GFF introduction movie