SWITZERLAND (UGNEWSLINE) – Uganda has marketed its branded coffee to Swiss consumers and buyers at the Swiss Coffee Festival in Zurich, which organisers describe as Switzerland’s largest coffee trade fair.
The festival, held from 31 October to 1 November 2026, attracted about 5,500 visitors and 78 exhibitors, according to the Embassy of Uganda in Switzerland. It was Uganda’s first appearance at the event.
The embassy secured an exhibition stand for two Ugandan companies, Gorilla Conservation Coffee and Carico Coffee, which used the platform to present their brands, hold tastings, meet potential buyers and sell roasted coffee directly to Swiss consumers.
Uganda’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Marcel Tibaleka, said the country was committed to strengthening its presence in the Swiss market.
“We are delighted to introduce more of Uganda’s exceptional coffee brands to Swiss consumers and look forward to building lasting partnerships with Swiss coffee traders, roasters and consumers,” Tibaleka said.
The focus on branded coffee reflects a shift in how Uganda sells its leading export. More than 98 percent of Uganda’s coffee is exported as unroasted green beans, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, which means it is often roasted and sold abroad under foreign labels. Ugandan officials have said consumers in markets such as China frequently drink Ugandan coffee without knowing its origin.
To change this, the government in June launched the country’s first national coffee brand, “Uganda Coffee: It’s in Our Nature”, at the World of Coffee exhibition in Brussels.
The government is also encouraging investment in roasting, processing and soluble coffee while maintaining green bean exports, and is targeting production of more than 20 million bags a year by 2030.
Uganda exported 8.8 million 60-kilogramme bags of coffee worth $2.4 billion (about Shs8.8 trillion) in the 12 months to March 2026, up from 6.9 million bags worth $1.8 billion the previous year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. Europe took 58 percent of exports in February, with Italy the largest buyer.
The two companies at the festival brought distinct brand stories. Gorilla Conservation Coffee is run by Conservation Through Public Health, founded by Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. The company says it pays farmers near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park $0.50 per kilo above the market price.
Carico Coffee says it buys directly from about 1,700 smallholder farmers in the Mount Elgon region of eastern Uganda.
The Zurich festival builds on Uganda’s wider coffee promotion in Switzerland this year. In March, the embassy and the Swiss Coffee Traders Association organised a week-long tour of Uganda for young Swiss coffee traders.
The embassy said the festival would support its efforts to expand coffee exports, promote value addition and strengthen Uganda’s position in the international specialty coffee market.
