Zukuka Bora is a social enterprise committed to empowering farming communities and producing life-changing coffee.

The story of Zukuka Bora is inherently intwined with the story of Commonfolk. They’re a social enterprise that’s committed to empowering farming communities and making coffee farming a sustainable and regenerative endeavour. Clearly, they're our kind of people.

Commonfolk's initiative, The Cup That Counts, has supported Zukuka Bora’s mission since day one. We contribute 20 cents from every kilo of coffee we roast and every cup we brew to the initiative, which has helped Zukuka Bora purchase demonstration farms, build processing centres, invest in machinery, and provide training and employment to over eight coffee farming communities across Mt Elgon.

We first partnered with Zukuka Bora back in 2014, and could never have guessed the impact they'd have on their community. Starting with a modest harvest of 250kg of washed arabica that was below specialty grade, their harvests now exceed 400 tonnes of specialty grade cherry with cupping scores in the mid-high 80s. They work closely with Commonfolk’s roasting team to produce honey-processed coffees, high-quality naturals, and innovative experimental lots, playing with brewer's yeasts and natural fermentations using local fruits like pineapple and passionfruit. It’s seriously tasty stuff!

Zukuka Bora is still a young producer, but they’ve recently acquired a large plot of land in the township of Mbale. This site is now home to the largest parabolic dryers in Eastern Uganda, with adequate storage sheds, a processing and cupping lab, and its own roastery cafe. They’ve even been able to purchase a small farm and wet mill in Sipi, thanks to donations from Commonfolk and our Australian partners.

Zukuka’s commitment to their farmers is extending even further, with plans to expand their washing station and incorporate new drying facilities. Zukuka hopes to grow beyond the three processing facilities they currently operate [in Wanale, Muyanda and Sipi] and have purchased land in Bududa as a centralised buying site. They’ve shown long term commitment to the communities they work with, which has helped develop trust with farmers who had lost faith in the coffee industry.

Zukuka Bora is committed to providing meaningful work for their community, employing more than 250 local workers throughout the harvest season. Their operations have a huge flow-on effect for the region, with more children able to go to school, more families able to improve their homes, and more farmers embracing coffee for their livelihood.

We’ve hosted the directors of Zukuka Bora, Vinnie Munyosi, Robby Keen and Dave Bishop at Commonfolk a number of times. In 2020, we launched an award named in honour of our great mate and massive supporter of Commonfolk, Mark Brown. The award is presented to the Commonfolk team member who best demonstrates our values of quality, people and pioneering. Each year, the winner gets to travel to Uganda and witness first-hand the impact that coffee is having on the communities.

Zukuka's story is closely tied to Commonfolk, and our trips to origin always feel like a homecoming. We’re dedicated to partnering with this life-changing social enterprise well into the future.