A coffee business based in North Yorkshire is growing its support for a Uganda-based project helping both the environment and smallholder farmers.

Rounton Coffee Roasters is backing the ACE 2030 project run by Agri Evolve, which was established in 2015 to work with coffee farmers in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains.

The scheme is a ten-year programme emphasising the link between agriculture, community and the environment, and aims to provide Rwenzori farmers with an increased income and better quality of life.

Rounton Coffee Roasters, based near Northallerton, has worked with Agri Evolve since 2018, and its head of coffee, David Burton recently visited its site in Uganda. He completed the 20-hour trip to the Rwenzori Mountains to learn more about the initiative and meet the staff and coffee farmers involved.

 

Kalingwe and Katanda community group

Kalingwe and Katanda community group

 

David said: “We directly support ACE 2030 by pledging to plant one tree for every kilo of Ugandan coffee we roast. Earlier this year we swapped out a component from our best-selling Granary Blend to include the Ugandan coffee beans. Along with our other Ugandan offerings, which equates to over 4,000 new trees this year alone.

“Trips to visit our partners are so important, they bring focus to why we must support causes like this, and we are proud to be working with Agri Evolve, the people behind our Ugandan coffee.”

Martin Rowland, of Agri Evolve, added: “We are delighted to be working in close partnership with Rounton Coffee to support the smallholder coffee farmers in Uganda. Through their commitment and generous donations, we are making a real difference to the farmers, their families, communities and the environment, by establishing sustainable agricultural practices which help mitigate against climate change too.”