Flemish-Ugandan partnership makes cocoa farmers more climate-resilient
The project ‘Institutionalizing Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Approaches for Cocoa and Vanilla Cooperatives in Uganda’ supports 750 small-scale cocoa and vanilla farmers in the Bundibugyo region of Uganda. It aims to make their agricultural practices more climate-resilient and sustainable, improve their access to green financing and strengthen their market position.
The initiative is funded by the Flemish government as part of international climate financing and will run for three years. It is being implemented by a consortium led by the Flemish cocoa consultancy company ZOTO, in collaboration with Trias Uganda, Bwamba Cooperative Union (BCU), Semuliki Cooperative Union (SEMCU), Hofokam and Silva Cacao.
Concrete results in the first project year
Since the official launch in March 2024, many steps have already been taken. A successful project launch with broad local involvement marked the start of an intensive working year.
An important milestone was the introduction of climate-smart agricultural techniques. With the support of Trias, farmers learned to analyse climate risks using the Building Resilience Tool (BR-1). Climate-adaptive measures were then implemented: water-saving basins and terraces were installed to collect water, and the farmers are now practising agroforestry. Two weather stations were installed for local data collection, and the data can eventually be distributed among the farmers.
The project has also made progress in the area of sustainable cocoa and vanilla processing. Farmers were trained in post-harvest techniques for cocoa, including fermentation in local farms. The improvement in cocoa quality as a result of the training led to greater interest from the international market. In addition, a pilot installation for vanilla processing was set up and the first batches were processed according to international standards.
A second priority of the project is to improve access to green financing. Thanks to the collaboration with microfinance institution Hofokam, a tailor-made loan product was developed. This enabled 36 farmers and one cooperative to receive a total of more than €80,000 in credit to make climate-smart investments.
The project is also making important contributions to environmental awareness and forest restoration in the region, including by actively promoting the reforestation of the Semuliki corridor. Three tree nurseries have been set up and preparations are being made for the distribution of 60,000 trees. In addition, radio broadcasts and field training courses have been used to raise awareness about forest conservation.
Finally, in its first year, the project focused on capacity building for the cooperatives. Thirty-five leaders and employees of the BCU and SEMCU cooperatives received training in governance, financial management and member engagement. Traceability systems were also set up to ensure transparency in the production chain, which is important in view of EU regulations on deforestation-free products.
With the support of the Flemish government, we have succeeded in strengthening local cooperatives and gaining national recognition for the continuous improvement of cocoa and vanilla production.
Looking ahead: expansion and innovation
In the second year of the project, the focus will be on further expanding the impact: more farmers will be trained, additional model farms will be set up, and efforts will be made to promote vanilla intercropping (vanilla is a climbing plant and uses cocoa trees as natural support poles). A test installation will be set up to produce cocoa briquettes: an alternative source of income, but also an energy source for the post-harvest treatment of vanilla. The expansion of digital monitoring tools and improving access to credit for other cooperatives are also priorities.
Local anchoring and international cooperation are creating a powerful example of an integrated approach to climate-smart agriculture with a broad impact in Uganda, with support from Flanders.
Voice from the field: ZOTO on challenges and successes
Zoi Papalexandratou of ZOTO: “We are proud to be part of this partner consortium. The ambition and motivation of the people in the field help us to make this project a success. Despite the fact that the cocoa sector has been in crisis for the past two years, the commitment of cocoa and vanilla farmers has not deviated from the objectives and mission of this project. Farmers appreciate the solutions and recommendations, and the market recognises the efforts at source. We strive for realistic, sustainable, climate-oriented measures, but also for long-term market relationships that gradually expand and remain quality-driven. With the support of the Flemish government, we have succeeded in strengthening local cooperatives and gaining national recognition for the continuous improvement of cocoa and vanilla production. Nevertheless, there remain many practical challenges with regard to implementation and infrastructure that we need to monitor and address. Due to unstable electricity supply, it is not easy to continuously record data from our operational weather stations, so installation changes are necessary. In addition, we need to improve seedling cultivation and continue to convince farmers to plant such trees on their land. This requires solid arguments and proof of concept. The partners continue to work together positively, flexibly and with an open mind. There are sufficient proposals for optimisation, which means that constructive cooperation can only lead to success.”