Uganda Coffee Growing Project

In this project, Green Earth is mostly working with smallholder farmers. Smallholder farmers are individuals or families who manage relatively small plots of agricultural land, often between 1 to 10 hectares, to produce crops primarily for their consumption or to sell locally. In many cases, they rely on traditional farming methods and have limited access to resources like machinery, fertilisers, and financial capital. 

In Uganda, smallholder farmers are essential for crops like coffee, contributing to export revenues. However, they often face challenges such as fluctuating market prices, environmental impacts, and limited access to modern agricultural inputs and credit.

Initiatives such as Earth's provide improved coffee variety to plants, training through agronomists on how to grow and maintain the coffee plants, and buying the coffee from the farmers. This will significantly enhance farmers' productivity and income, thus Green Earth is supporting the livelihoods of rural families.

Agronomists are professionals who are hired to transfer their knowledge to clonal coffee farmers. Before the clonal coffee seedlings are planted, all farmers receive professional training on planting and maintenance practices. The agronomist continues to actively monitor their progress to ensure the level of knowledge is maintained and best agricultural practices are followed for coffee production.

You lend us money, ranging from €500 to a maximum of €10,000, which we use to distribute clonal coffee seedlings to farmers in Uganda. These seedlings significantly increase coffee yields. Green Earth purchases the coffee beans from these farmers at a premium price and then sells the beans at a marked-up price. This process not only boosts the farmers' income but also contributes to restoring the ecosystem. Investors will receive returns over a period of four years, with payments made quarterly. After four years, the loan matures, and we will repay the initial investment.

Each bond is valued at €500. By purchasing a bond, you are lending us money to produce and distribute clonal coffee seedlings to farmers. We allocate the €500 for the following purposes: 

1. Production and maintenance: This covers the production and care of clonal coffee seedlings in the nursery.
2. Staffing: Our nursery staff will work to produce the seedlings. 
3. Training and support for farmers: Throughout the project, each farmer will participate in training sessions to learn how to cultivate and maintain coffee seedlings. 
4. Harvesting, packaging, and transportation: These costs are related to ensuring that coffee is produced and sold, including logistics for collecting coffee and transporting it to Kampala for sale. 
5. Exchange rate costs: This includes the expenses involved in converting euros to Ugandan shillings, as well as any differences in exchange rates from the time of your purchase to the transfer to Uganda. 

The maximum investment is €25,000, and we charge an issue fee of €25 for each investment.

You will receive proceeds from the coffee seedlings as returns on your investment. Your returns will include the redemption of your investment along with interest on the borrowed amount. The calculation of returns is based on two main factors: the quantity of coffee beans we can harvest annually and their selling price. Before we distribute your returns, several costs are covered. After deducting these expenses, the expected return per bond is 8% per year, paid quarterly.