WORLD OF COFFEE BRUSSELS 2026 - PORTRAIT COUNTRY
Uganda Coffee
It’s in our Nature.
FROM SOIL TO SOUL
In Uganda, coffee is a deep-rooted living bond between land and people.
Brussels Expo - 25-27 June 2026
What the land gives and what people bring are impossible to separate. And that is precisely what makes Uganda’s coffee unique. Africa’s leading coffee exporter and the birthplace of wild Robusta - from the volcanic slopes of Mount Elgon to the forests of the Albertine Rift, Uganda’s ten documented flavour profiles - each mapped, cup-profiled, and peer-reviewed - produce coffees as diverse as the landscapes they come from. Over 1.7 million smallholder families have nurtured this crop for generations. This is the origin that has earned its place at the world’s finest coffee tables.
#1
COFFEE EXPORTER IN AFRICA
8.4M
BAGS EXPORTED - RECORD FY 2025
$2.4B
EXPORT VALUE FY 2025
10
DOCUMENTED FLAVOUR PROFILES
1.7M
SMALL HOLDER FARMERS
Why Coffee is in Our Nature
VOLCANIC SOIL. QUALITY FROM THE GROUND UP. GENERATIONS OF CARE.
Uganda’s coffee is shaped by geography of remarkable variety. Arabica thrives at altitude on the volcanic slopes of Mount Elgon, the Rwenzori Mountains (“Mountains of the Moon”), and the hills of West Nile. Robusta - native to Uganda’s equatorial forests - grows in the Lake Victoria Crescent, the Kyoga Plains, and across the western savannah grasslands. Each zone is distinct. Each cup tells a different story.
ELEVEN TERROIRS. TEN FLAVOUR PROFILES. ONE ORIGIN.
79% ROBUSTA - 21% ARABICA
Eleven agro-ecological zones have been mapped and cup-profiled - ten confirmed as statistically validated, terroir-based flavour profiles giving buyers and roasters a validated map of Uganda’s flavour diversity. A seven-year long sensory study confirms that these ten zones produce cups distinct enough to tell apart by taste alone, proven by peer-reviewed science*
ARABICA
Zone 1 - Highland Ranges
FINE ROBUSTA
Zone 3 - Lake Victoria Crescent
ARABICA
Zone 5 - North Eastern Savannah Grasslands
FINE ROBUSTA
Zone 7 - Pastoral Rangelands
FINE ROBUSTA
Zone 9 - South Western Farmlands
FINE ROBUSTA
Zone 11 - Western Savannah Grasslands
FINE ROBUSTA
Zone 2 - Kyoga Plains
FINE ROBUSTA*
Zone 4 - North Eastern Savannah Grasslands
FINE ROBUSTA
Zone 6 - North Western Savannah Grasslands
ARABICA
Zone 8 - South Western Farmlands
ARABICA
Zone 10 - Western Savannah Grasslands
*Zone 4 (North Eastern Savannah Grasslands) was not included in the 2025 peer research study (Sseremba et al., Journal of Sensory Studies) because coffee production in this zone is recent - large-scale planting interventions only began after 2011 - and the zone does not yet produce a statistically validated distinct cup profile. Scientific validation of zone distinctness is from Sseremba et a. (2025)
*1,000+ samples scored against SCA + Fine Robusta protocols - UCDA sensory evidence base: 2014-2020.
THE PEOPLE
Guardians of Uganda’s Coffee
In Uganda, coffee is a deep-rooted living bond between land and people.
Every bean reflects a culture of care, customs and consistency. Uganda delivers reliable quality rooted in lived experience, not promise. Over 1.7 million smallholder families - 77% of them under 30 - are the heartbeat of Uganda’s coffee. They are winning international gold medals at AVPA Paris, leading cooperatives that export directly to Germany, Japan, and beyond, and proving that quality, sustainability and pride of origin are inseparable. Uganda’s coffee is not just grown here. It is of here.
WELCOME, RESPECT AND QUALITY.
FROM SOIL TO SOUL.
A full programme of activities awaits you at World of Coffee Brussels -
25 - 27 June 2026
WOMEN & YOUTH IN COFFEE
A Sector Shaped by Women
Uganda’s coffee economy is being built by women and young people. Women make up 56% of the agricultural workforce and lead at every level of the coffee value chain - from agronomy and harvesting to processing, quality assurance, and exporter management. Multiple Ugandan exporters are majority women-led or women-staffed. And with 77% of Uganda’s population under 30, this is one of the most dynamic, youthful producer workforces in the world - part of Africa’s fastest-growing creative and productive economy.
56%
OF UGANDA’S AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE ARE WOMEN
Multi-level
WOMEN LEAD AGRONOMY, PROCESSING, QA & EXPORT MANAGEMENT
77%
OF UGANDA’S POPULATION IS UNDER 30
Growing
MULTIPLE EXPORTERS ARE MAJORITY WOMEN-LED OR WOMEN-STAFFED
SUSTAINABILITY & SCALE
Production of Coffee in Uganda
Uganda has become Africa’s model for quality-led coffee growth. In FY2025, the country exported a record 8.4 million 60-kg bags - earning USD 2.4 billion and surpassing Ethiopia to become the continent’s leading exporter. Coffee now accounts for over 22% of Uganda’s total national export value.
+47%
VOLUME
+77%
VALUE
YEAR ON YEAR
UCDA FY2025 VS FY2024
Uganda’s commitment to sustainability means empowering smallholder farmers to make coffee a profitable, traceable, and environmentally responsible business. With a Q Venue-certified laboratory, UGX 35 billion invested in EUDR compliance, and cooperatives now retaining up to 70% of value at origin, Uganda’s coffee is not just abundant - it is investable.
For more information, visit ugandacoffee.go.ug
BRUSSELS EXPO - 25-27 JUNE 2026
Join Uganda Coffee at World of Coffee Brussels
As the 2026 Portrait Country, Uganda has a full programme across all three days. Come to the stand, join a cupping, and be part of a historic moment for African coffee.
25 JUNE - OPENING DAY
World of Coffee Brussels Opening Ceremony
Join Uganda Coffee at the official World of Coffee Brussels opening ceremony - where Uganda takes its place as the 2026 Portrait Country in front of the global coffee community
25 - 27 JUNE - DAILY SESSIONS
Daily Cuppings - Arabica & Fine Robusta
Discover why coffee is in our nature. Visit our booth for a brew or join our guided cupping sessions and taste the difference terroir makes - led by expert Q-Graders. Open to all registered attendees. Don’t miss out!
25 JUNE - UGANDA STAND
Uganda Coffee Launch Moment
Our Portrait Country launch starts directly after the ribbon-cutting at the World of Coffee Brussels Opening Ceremony. Join our musical procession to celebrate the official unveiling of our National Coffee Brand - a key moment to demonstrating why coffee is truly in our nature. Hosted by MAAIF & ITC. All welcome.
25 -27 JUNE - END OF DAY
Uganda Coffee Happy Hour
Wind down the show day at the Uganda stand. Informal tastings, producer meet-and-greet, and a chance to experience Ugandan hospitality - the same spirit that has made Uganda the surprise of the specialty world.
25 -27 JUNE - FREE GIFT
Daily Stand Gift - Uganda Coffee Giveaway
Visit the Uganda Coffee stand each day for our free daily gift promotion. Receive premium specialty coffee from Uganda’s finest producers, exclusive Uganda Coffee gifts, and sourcing introductions. Free to participate - no purchase required. One gift per day, while stocks last. You must be present to receive.
FOLLOW UGANDA COFFEE
SCAN HERE
Download the digital brochure
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
UGANDA COFFEE - NATIONAL COFFEE BRAND
SUPPORTED
BY
EU-EAC MARKUP II is funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Trade Centre in collaboration with the EAC Secretariat and national partners in the recipient countries.
World of Coffee Brussels 2026
Brussels Expo - Heysel - 25-27 June 2026
Portrait Country: Uganda - Presented in Partnership with MAAIF & ITC