Araba Coffee Case Study

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Supply Chain of Ugandan Arabica Coffee
Coffee has always been a staple part of the American breakfast, and work life. With its promise of a much needed midday energy boost, or morning pick me up, millions of Americans often turn to coffee to start the day. According to a recent Gallup poll nearly 64% of Americans adults ages 18 and up report drinking at least one cup of coffee a day, with the average coffee drinker drinking 2.7 cups a day (Saad, 2015). While some Americans choose to drink coffee blends, most Americans prefer to consume pure source coffee, or coffee that a specific type from a specific country. While coffees from Central America and Africa are popular, one of the richest and most pure forms of coffee is considered to be Arabica coffee from the Ugandan mountains. In the U.S. the most popular Ugandan Arabica coffee is Café Vianté’s Uganda Expresso, grown in the slopes of Mount Elgon. Grown and processed in Uganda, Arabica coffee …show more content…

The most severe challenge the Uganda coffee industry faces is low production levels due to the aging coffee tree population and drought mountain regions where Arabica coffee grows. Arabica coffee trees have an economic life of approximately 40 years. However, the average Arabica coffee tree in Uganda was planted nearly 50 years ago therefore surpassing its biological optimum for coffee production (UCDA, 2015). Additionally in recent years drought in the Elgon region, the region of Uganda where American coffee company Café Vianté gets its beans, has hurt coffee buds and increased the population of antestia bugs, which attack the buds. As a result, the amount of coffee exported has decreased by nearly one million 60kg bags since 1997 (Ecel, 19,497). To combat this slowdown in production the Uganda government has sponsored replanting initiatives to replace aged unproductive

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