Inclusive Markets Uganda: Improving Cocoa and Honey Markets in Uganda

The project

The project objective is to fight poverty, increase incomes, and create sustainable livelihoods for cocoa farmers, beekeepers, and other actors in these value chains. The project supports families of cocoa farmers and honey producers with various services. Through hands-on training and continuing education courses, these families are expanding their skills and knowledge. They are now able to improve quality and increase yields. In tandem, Swisscontact is helping farmers to sell their products. Producer organisations improve their negotiation skills, building stable relations with buyers and winning new sales markets. Through their successful integration into the market system, smallholder farmer families are able to generate secure and livelihood-sustaining incomes.
 

Project activities

1. Initial and further training for smallholder farmers
   Through targeted trainings, beneficiaries will learn new planting techniques equipment usage, management, crop protection, fertilisers, seeds, etc., or beekeeping and processing of beekeeping products.
2. Access to market information and building business relations 
   The project is making an important contribution by strengthening farmer organisations, linking producers with buyers through price and purchase guarantees, as well as promoting access to new markets and information along the cocoa and honey value chains.
3. Access to financial services
   Farmers acquire basic financial literacy, which they can readily apply in savings and lending groups. Consequently, their financial security and independence enhance. The project also facilitates access to formal banks, savings and credit cooperatives as well as innovative financial services (e.g. microleasing).
4. Diversification of cultivation strategies in the cocoa sector (vegetable production and apiculture)
   Women and young adults will be supported in the introduction of vegetable gardening and honey production. This helps poor smallholder farmer families to improve their food security.
5. Improving the policy and regulatory frameworks
   The project promotes the development and implementation of improved regulatory frameworks such as export regulations, standards and certification.