WCR connects Ugandan scientists with Cenicafé to strengthen coffee seed systems

Key takeaways

• Building capacity through knowledge exchange. Ugandan scientists recently completed hands-on training at Cenicafé in Colombia on advanced coffee propagation and quality assurance techniques.
• Fortifying systems that work for farmers. Stronger seed systems help ensure healthy, disease-resistant coffee plants reach smallholder farmers, supporting higher yields and long-term livelihoods.
• Supporting Africa’s leading coffee exporter. The training supports Uganda’s national goal to sharply increase coffee production in the coming years.

In April, World Coffee Research (WCR) facilitated a cross-continental knowledge exchange, bringing Ugandan coffee scientists to Colombia for training on advanced propagation and high functioning seed systems. Representatives from Uganda's National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)-coffee department participated in hands-on sessions led by researchers at Cenicafé, Colombia’s national coffee research center and one of the world’s leading institutions for coffee science.

Through this effort, WCR is connecting Uganda’s scientists and seed sector leaders with global expertise that can be adapted to national needs. Uganda is Africa's largest coffee exporter and has set an ambitious goal to increase national production to 20 million bags by 2030. Reaching that target will require high-yielding, resilient plants, stronger nurseries, and reliable systems that can move improved varieties into farmers’ fields at scale.

Why seed systems matter

High-performing seed supply chains bring healthy new varieties to farmers through traceable, quality controlled seed or seedling production, propagation, and nursery distribution. They ensure that the promise offered by better trees—higher productivity and profitability for farmers—is realized. NaCORI has developed a new group of robusta clones resistant to coffee wilt disease, known as KR lines, as well as promising new arabica hybrids. Research shows that planting CWD-resistant varieties can increase smallholder farmer profits by up to 250%.¹ But improved genetics only create impact when farmers can access plants that are healthy and true-to-type. Because coffee trees remain in the field for decades, poor-quality planting material can set farmers back for years.

For farmers, seed systems are the bridge between research and real production gains. A coffee tree planted today will shape farm productivity, resilience, and income for decades. High-quality plants give farmers a stronger starting point, and strong seed systems are essential for increasing the availability of these materials. 

Building capacity for scale

The training at Cenicafé strengthened skills in propagation and quality assurance, including approaches that support better multiplication of improved arabica and robusta varieties. It also reinforced how mother gardens, laboratories, nurseries, certification, and farmer-facing distribution systems work together.

NaCORI technicians are building the capacity needed to optimize tissue culture facilities and scale production of new varieties. The instruction follows a train-the-trainer model, enabling technicians to return to Uganda to train other technical staff at their institutions and work collaboratively towards a more integrated system that allows local nursery operators to access the planting material they need  and support regulatory oversight of private planting material suppliers. This capacity is critical for expanding the network of private nurseries capable of delivering hundreds of thousands of healthy trees to farmers, including Uganda’s new KR lines.

“We have new varieties that we are propagating and putting out to farmers, so this training is very important. We are going to use the knowledge we gained here to disseminate to our stakeholders in the extension system. This training provided critical support to our coffee sector,” said Israel Ssebugenyi, of Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, who participated in the training. 

This training is part of a larger €850,000 co-investment initiative to strengthen Uganda's seed system infrastructure. The coalition includes UNIDO and WCR member companies JDE Peet's, The J.M. Smucker Co., and the Lavazza Foundation. By connecting national research institutes, global centers of excellence, and industry partners, WCR helps turn agricultural innovation into systems that work for farmers.

The training is part of an €850,000 program from the ACT Coffee Programme and World Coffee Research to strengthen Uganda's coffee seed systems, support farmer livelihoods, and advance long-term sustainability. The Programme is implemented by UNIDO and funded by the Italian Cooperation, within the framework of Italy's Mattei Plan and the EU Global Gateway Strategy, as well as the Lavazza Foundation, The J.M. Smucker Company, and JDE Peet’s in a public-private coalition. It is led by Uganda's Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), NARO, and NACORI. 

^{1. Enhancing Innovation in the Ugandan Agri-Food Sector: Robusta Coffee Planting Material & Tropical Fruit Processing, WIPO Economic Research Working Paper No. 42, 2018. pp. 24}