ADVOCATING FOR A NATIONAL COFFEE POLICY IN UGANDA

1. NUCAFE ADVOCATING FOR A NATIONAL COFFEE POLICY IN UGANDA Joseph Nkandu joseph.nkandu@nucafe.org Tunis, Tunisia

2. OUR APPROACH: Farmer ownership Model Exporters MAAIF, MTTI , MFPED, Treasury and other Govt Bodies UCDA National Coffee Farmers Organization NUCAFE Enabling environment Academia Association training Businesstraining Associations/ Cooperatives NARO & its CORI Processing & Marketing Bulking Processors Farmer Roasters/supermarkets/ Consumers Mobilization, GAPs Principles NAADS Nurseries Cooperative training Donors Extension & Business support services 1. Farmer owned & Empowerment Service linkages 2 Performance pay UNBS Coffee Devt Fund 3. Value Addition UCTF Financial Services 4. Financial Solidarity Information flow 5.Sustainability Certification/ Standards Inputs Traders/Exporters

3. Consumer Tomorrow The Business & Business Environment Processing Roast and ground Roasted beans high margin Today Graded AA coffee ……………………………………………………………............................................. F.A.Q (ungraded) ……………………………………………………………............................................. Processing ……………………………………………………………............................................ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. Low margins Low margins Farming Farming (with no value addition)

4. Advocacy readiness – what are the issues? • Weak research • Pests and diseases • Declining production and exports • Lack of value addition by farmers • limited domestic coffee consumption • Over liberalization. (let market forces.....) • extractive institutions

5. What are the issues? • The paradox in the global coffee value chain • The historical dichotomy of the global coffee value chain. • Separation of coffee agriculture from industry • International Coffee agreement 2007

6. Advocacy readiness • NUCAFE has a board committee on advocacy and membership development • Full time staff at managerial level to support Executive Director in lobby and Advocacy • Lobby and Advocacy mainstreamed at National, Association levels • Process • Defining the problem (Research) • Developing a position paper • Developing and choosing the tools • Setting the Agenda, Networking & sharing the position • Initializing the change with stakeholder support • Reviewing the results in a changing Business environment

7. Advocacy readiness • Hired Consultant to research problems • NUCAFE organized its highest advocacy forum “ The Uganda National Coffee Farmers Convention in 2008, • Over 3000 farmers attended • Invited, UCDA, Exporters, MAAIF, UNFFE, PSFU, Prime minister

8. Preparations for the convention • Hired a consultant who evaluated the coffee sector in Uganda with a clear focus on the policy, regulation and legal business environment and the farmer position • Strategies to disseminate information and communicate issues were selected i.e. press release, pre-press conference and strategic meetings • As a strategy the Prime Minister of Uganda was invited to officiate the function • Other Key stakeholders were invited e.g. MAAIF, UCDA, UCTF and other stake holders

9. The Convention • Continued use of the media for information dissemination -Disseminated a press release, conducting of onsite interviews and video coverage • Opinion articles and radio talk show - Press release, opinion articles, radio talk shows • Prime Minister directed the Ministry to come up with a coffee policy in three months • Minister of agriculture and managing Director UCDA disagreed with the fact that there was no coffee policy

10. Meeting parliamentary committee on Agriculture NUCAFE has held meetings with the parliamentary agricultural committee, 1st on the right hand is the Executive Director making a presentation

11. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL INDUSTRY (MAAIF) RESPONSE • Called for new research but pointed out financial constraints • NUCAFE sourced for funding for the research and similar positions and issues were raised and a proposed Draft coffee policy was made • MAAIF formed stake holders committee at the Permanent secretary level • Consultative meetings held and facilitated by consultant • Policy section in MAAIF had mixed views on policy

12. STAKEHOLDER Responses • Uganda Coffee Development Authority ( UCDA): • reluctantly agreed and participated in process, • hired second consultant to review whole process • Requested MAAIF & took over Second policy drafting process • Exporters: • Mixed reaction between local and multinational companies • Expressed fears for regulation • Supported coffee research issue • Neutral/ “Moving target positions"on funding issue,

13. Advancing the policy: NUCAFE Follow up • Continuous update to membership through NUCAFE structure • Sustained media campaign • Increased networking with UNFFE, EAFF • Advocacy staff position elevated to manager level • Follow up with UCDA and MAAIF in both Formal and informal ways • Making the coffee policy part of the Agenda for various coffee meetings • Formal and informal follow up with other levels of Government, president and parliament • Updating farmer position and Input internally or out sourcing through consultants

14. Current status • Draft National coffee policy before Top management of MAAIF • Talk of preparation of white paper for cabinet • President statement on cooperative day celebration • Coffee research elevated to institute level • Stakeholders acceptance for the NCP better but more is needed

15. Challenges (Before, during and after advocacy) • Negative attitude towards farmers (regarded insignificant in the coffee value chain) • Lack of clarity in mandate (MAAIF and UCDA experience) • Bureaucracy that sometimes delays the process • Misconception and misinformation • Budgeting e.g. impromptu meetings that arise to address crucial issue normally without a budget line item • Farmers incapacity to advocate –Need for training

16. Lesson learnt • There is need to identify movers and shakers in government to direct the policy making process (Power mapping) • Mainstreaming advocacy for sustainability, you cannot only be a lobby organization • Ensure effective presence as an organization in all important forums/meetings (constant representation of NUCAFE in coffee/farmer forums) • Involvement of the media in information dissemination (media advocacy)

17. Lessons learnt :Contn • As farmer organizations, we have to make sure that we become relevant to stakeholders for example researchers (COREC partnership with NUCAFE) • Advocacy is a continuous process and cannot be sure when the desired position will be reached hence Fos should avoid losing hope • There is need for advocacy mainstreaming in all organizations programmes/projects to ensure continuity • With advocacy you step on peoples toes, but it is inevitable sometimes

18. Lessons Cont: • To stay firm, focused and equipped with facts and figures • Leave out personal issues and focus on real issues • Mobilizing financial resources is key, a lot of resources needed for lobby and advocacy (over spent on the convention: Higher budget less resources were realized)

19. Next steps

20. Never give up • Struggle continues