Business, the environment and society need to be addressed simultaneously if we are to achieve economic and ecological restoration and a future balance.

Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world and Uganda, the world’s 6th largest exporter, is home to almost 20% of the world’s coffee smallholding farmers. In Bugisu, on Mount Elgon, the farmers live remotely at high altitude adjacent to a UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve. A spiral of worsening deforestation in tandem with aggressive climate events of worsening flash floods and landslides is occurring and is at a point where their last economic activity – coffee farming, is at risk.

Small businesses can experiment in business models and CARICO Café has worked with these communities using their coffee livelihood holistically as a socio-economic-ecological lever. Despite improving quality and yield, driving end-consumer knowledge of origin, livelihoods remain poor.

The session will discuss the value of holistic triple levers to address the challenge of reversal and restoration of biodiversity.
Find this session’s white paper here.