Rewriting the Narrative Around Ugandan Coffee

Lars Pilengrim discusses farmer training in Uganda, processing infrastructure, and the country’s potential.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photos courtesy of Lars Pilengrim of Lykke Coffee Farms

What to know:

• Uganda is emerging as a specialty coffee producer, with high altitudes and volcanic soil adding to the country’s potential to produce exceptional coffee
• In the mountains of Uganda, arabica varieties like SL14 and SL28 grow at elevations reaching over 2,000 meters, with slow maturation contributing to more complex flavor profiles
• Lars Pilengrim shares his work in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains to help smallholder farmers build the infrastructure needed to share Ugandan coffee with a global market

Uganda has long been one of the world’s largest coffee producers, and yet, it remains largely absent from the specialty conversation. Curious about this paradox, I spoke with Lars Pilengrim, co-founder of Lykke Coffee Farms, whose work in Uganda is challenging long-held assumptions about the country’s potential. 

Alongside our interview, a recent documentary following Lars’ work in the Rwenzori Mountains offers a deeper look into the realities on the ground—from farmer livelihoods to the complexities of building a specialty supply chain in a traditionally commodity-driven system.

What emerges is a story not just about coffee quality, but about infrastructure, education, and a rethinking of value across the entire supply chain.

A country full of potential

For Lars, Uganda stood out precisely because of what it lacked in global recognition. “It is one of the world’s largest coffee producers, yet very little of its coffee is represented in the specialty market,” he says. That contradiction became the starting point.

Traveling through the Rwenzori Mountains, Lars and his partners saw what many had overlooked: altitude, fertile volcanic soils, and a climate capable of producing exceptional coffee. In the documentary, he echoes this sentiment, describing Uganda as an “underdog” origin with “a ton of potential” that has simply never been fully realized.

What makes Uganda particularly compelling is that the raw ingredients for quality have always been there. Arabica varieties such as SL14 and SL28 grow at elevations reaching over 2,000 meters, with slow maturation contributing to complex flavor profiles. Yet, as Lars puts it, “what has been missing is the infrastructure, knowledge, and market connections needed to unlock it.”

Rewriting the narrative around Ugandan coffee

Uganda’s global reputation has long been tied to robusta and bulk coffee markets. Shifting that perception is no small task. According to Lars, it starts with consistency.

“Quality needs to become more consistent as well as higher,” he says, emphasizing improvements in harvesting, processing, and grading. But beyond technical upgrades, traceability and storytelling are equally critical.

The documentary reinforces this point by highlighting how disconnected consumers often are from origin. As Lars reflects on the global coffee industry, he notes the stark imbalance: Farmers earning roughly $100 a year from coffee while consumers pay premium prices for drinks in cafés. “Something is off here,” he says in the film—a realization that underscores the urgency of rewriting the narrative.

For Uganda to stand alongside countries like Ethiopia or Kenya, it’s about more than producing great coffee; it’s about ensuring that coffee is seen, valued, and understood.

Building relationships with farmers

At the heart of this transformation is collaboration with farmers. Lars’ project works with over a thousand smallholders in the Rwenzori region, many of whom cultivate only a few hundred trees.

“Our work is built on long-term collaboration with farmers,” he says. Historically, many of these farmers processed coffee on the ground and sold it to middlemen with little feedback or incentive to improve quality.

The documentary brings these relationships to life. We see farmers navigating steep terrain, transporting coffee by motorbike, and working within systems that have long limited their earning potential. One farmer explains that coffee income is often used to pay school fees—highlighting just how critical even small increases in income can be.

Through initiatives like the coffee scout program, local agronomists train farmers in pruning, harvesting, and soil management. “They provide training… and act as the bridge between farmers and our washing station,” Lars says. The result is not only better coffee, but a sense of shared investment in the outcome.

Infrastructure as the missing link

If there is one factor Lars identifies as transformative, it is infrastructure. “Processing infrastructure is absolutely critical,” he says.

In many parts of Uganda, coffee has traditionally been dried on tarps or on the ground, leading to inconsistent quality. By contrast, centralized washing stations allow for controlled fermentation, drying, and sorting—unlocking the full potential of the cherries.

The documentary vividly illustrates the challenges of building such infrastructure in remote areas. From broken machinery to impassable roads—dubbed “dancing roads” by locals—the logistical hurdles are constant. At one point, a key pulping machine fails during a test run, underscoring just how fragile the system can be.

Yet these investments are essential. Without them, even the best-grown coffee cannot achieve specialty-grade quality.

Knowledge as a catalyst for change

Beyond infrastructure, education plays a defining role. “Knowledge sharing is probably the single most important part of our work,” Lars emphasizes.

Many farmers, he explains, have never had access to formal training in coffee agronomy. Simple practices—like selective picking or proper pruning—can dramatically improve both yield and quality.

This idea is echoed powerfully in the documentary, where one agronomist explains that knowledge is a form of empowerment: once learned, it cannot be taken away. Farmers who adopt new techniques often see their yields double or even triple, creating a ripple effect across communities.

The goal is not short-term gains, but long-term sustainability. As Lars puts it, the aim is to help farmers “produce more coffee, of better quality, year after year.”

Rethinking value and trade

A key component of this model is direct trade. By reducing the number of intermediaries, more value can flow back to farmers.

“When coffee passes through multiple middlemen, very little of the final value reaches the farmer,” Lars explains. By organizing supply chains and paying premiums for quality, his team creates incentives for better practices.

The documentary highlights this imbalance with striking clarity, contrasting global consumption—billions of cups per day—with the minimal income earned by producers. Lars frames coffee as a “tool” for change, capable of bridging that gap if the system is redesigned.

Encouragingly, shifts are already happening. More farmers are choosing to sell fresh cherries rather than processed coffee, improving traceability and quality while increasing their earnings.

Looking ahead

So, can Uganda become a major specialty origin in the next decade? Lars is unequivocal: “I absolutely believe Uganda can become one of the next major specialty coffee origins.”

The signs are promising: better infrastructure, increased training, and growing interest from specialty buyers. But the real test will be consistency.

As both the interview and documentary suggest, Uganda’s journey is just beginning. The potential has always existed; what’s emerging now is the system needed to realize it.

For the global coffee community, the message is clear: Uganda is no longer a hidden origin. It’s a possibility—one that’s being shaped not just by geography, but by people, partnerships, and a shared belief in what coffee can become.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work.

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