SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme: Brewing Success in Uganda

SOURCE: | 05/05/2025

©FAO/Rewild

05/05/2025

In the misty hills surrounding Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Gorilla Conservation Coffee is demonstrating how sustainable agriculture can simultaneously protect endangered wildlife and empower local communities. The enterprise, one of eleven pioneering startups supported by FAO’s SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme, is helping smallholder coffee farmers to prosper while contributing to conservation efforts in this biodiversity-rich region.

The SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme, which ran from 2022-2024, provided assistance for innovative startups that are transforming agrifood systems by enhancing environmental protection and improving the lives of marginalized members of their community. Participating enterprises received tailored mentoring, tools to measure and amplify their impact and small grants, to enable them to scale up their business while enhancing their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Programme was implemented with the technical support of SEED.

 

 

 

 

 

Transforming Communities through Sustainable Agriculture

Gorilla Conservation Coffee is a social enterprise dedicated to improving the livelihoods of smallholder coffee farmers living near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, while protecting the endangered mountain gorillas that call the forest home. They pay coffee suppliers a premium price and encourage sustainable agricultural practices, which reduces the need for farmers to resort to activities that damage the forest, such as poaching or wood collection. This in turn helps protect the gorillas and their habitat.

Participation in the SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme enabled Gorilla Conservation Coffee to make significant strides in both business growth and sustainable development:

Building knowledge and skills

© FAO/Rewild

 

The enterprise delivered training to 145 farmers – including 120 women farmers and 25 model farmers – in sustainable agricultural practices and post-harvest handling. The training focused on improving yields through climate-resilient farming techniques while supporting environmental conservation. Using a peer-to-peer approach, these trained farmers have become mentors, sharing their knowledge with 355 additional farmers, with a particular focus on youth and reformed poachers. Through this model farming approach, the initiative has successfully reached 500 farmers in the area, creating a sustainable network of agricultural knowledge and expertise.

 

Infrastructure for growth

© Gorilla Conservation Coffee

 

The FAO grant funded critical infrastructure improvements that transformed local coffee processing. New motorcycles, pulpers, and water tanks have made market access easier for local farmers. Previously, 150 farmers had to transport their coffee long distances over challenging terrain to reach buying centres. The new processing facilities not only reduced this burden but also decreased post-harvest losses. These improvements created jobs for local youth and have enhanced the quality of locally processed coffee.

 

Climate-smart agriculture

© Gorilla Conservation Coffee

 

Recognizing the importance of climate action, the Programme facilitated the introduction of agroforestry practices among coffee suppliers. With the support of 145 coffee farmers, over 7000 shade tree seedlings were planted.  These shade trees help protect both the coffee crops and the surrounding environment, preventing land degradation. They will also help to boost yields.

 

SDG Impact

Farmers have increased their yields and income through improved agricultural practices.
The enterprise engages and trains women farmers in sustainable agriculture practices.
New buying points and processing facilities have created local employment opportunities for youth and women.
Marginalized groups, including women and youths, have found new income-generating opportunities in the coffee value chain.
Local communities are engaged in conservation efforts and sustainable agricultural practices.
Sustainable farming techniques and new infrastructures have minimized post-harvest losses
Agroforestry initiatives and sustainable land-use practices have contributed to climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.

Looking forward

The FAO SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme has provided Gorilla Conservation Coffee with both financial support and tools for monitoring their social, economic, and environmental impact. This integrated approach helps ensure that their business growth aligns with the SDGs.

Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Founder and CEO of Gorilla Conservation Coffee, shared the enterprise’s vision for the future: “We greatly appreciate the support from the FAO SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme, which provided critical funding that reduced the distance farmers had to travel to transport coffee to buying and processing centers. This support also enabled us to train our women coffee farmers and model coffee farmers in climate-smart agriculture. We plan to train all our 630 coffee farmers in agroforestry, including 230 women. As our working capital increases, allowing us to buy farmers’ premium and specialty coffee at above-market prices and sell it in Uganda and internationally, we aim to double the number of coffee farmers we currently engage in sub-counties surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This expansion will further reduce poaching and wood collection in the forest habitat of the endangered mountain gorillas.

As Gorilla Conservation Coffee scales its operations, its progress highlights how strategic investments and capacity-building through initiatives like the SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme can benefit communities, the environment and businesses alike. Their journey offers valuable insights for other enterprises working to combine conservation efforts with sustainable agricultural development.

SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme: Gorilla Conservation Coffee

SOURCE: | Apr 15, 2025

The FAO SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme (2022–2024) supported innovative startups working to transform agrifood systems in ways that protect the environment and improve the lives of marginalized community members. The Programme offered tailored mentoring, tools to measure and amplify impact and small grants, to help enterprises scale their solutions and enhance their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. One such example is Gorilla Conservation Coffee in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where poverty and unsustainable farming practices have threatened local wildlife. The enterprise prioritizes the prosperity of smallholder coffee farmers while contributing to conservation efforts in the biodiversity-rich region.

Conservationists optimistic on gorilla numbers as census nears

SOURCE | | January 15th, 2025

 

The number of mountain gorillas is steadily increasing, which moved them from the status of critically endangered to endangered.

 

Julius Luwemba
Journalist
@New Vision

Several conservationists have expressed optimism about the rise in gorilla numbers as new births have, in the past, been witnessed within the 27 gorilla families across the four sectors of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda. A total of 459 mountain gorillas were counted in Bwindi during the last census of 2018.

Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda’s first wildlife veterinary officer, revealed that a new census will be conducted this year, 2025, “apparently starting in February.”

According to Kalema, the number of mountain gorillas is steadily increasing, which moved them from the status of critically endangered to endangered.

“Only 300 gorillas were recorded in 1997 when I first participated. The numbers are steadily increasing due to several interventions, such as improved veterinary services, community engagement where locals are directly employed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and revenue-sharing benefits whereby 20% of the fees from park entrance and 10% off each gorilla permit are given back to the communities,” she explained.

Playful young gorillas swinging up in the trees of Bwindi national park. (Credit: Julius Luwemba)

Playful young gorillas swinging up in the trees of Bwindi national park. (Credit: Julius Luwemba)

Dr Kalema made the remarks while leading her 15-year-old son Tendo Zikusoka on a gorilla tracking expedition last weekend.

Although Tendo grew up among the communities of Bwindi, it was his first time tracking gorillas. According to the policy, children below 15 years are not allowed to visit gorillas.

“They carry childhood diseases such as measles, mumps, common flu, cough, among others, which can easily spread to the great apes. Remember humans share 98.4% genetic material with gorillas, and even greater, 98.8% with chimpanzees,” noted the wildlife vet.

This was emphasised by Bashir Hangi, the spokesperson for Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), who added that, in addition to diseases, it is more risky for younger children to go to gorillas due to aggression risks.

“There is a call, however, to have the age standardised at 15 years for both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. This will address increased aggression risk to younger tourists, among other reasons,” Hangi explained.

Meanwhile, upon seeing the gorillas for the first time, the 15-year-old Tendo Zikusoka appealed for concerted efforts to conserve their natural habitats.

“If we cut down forests and destroy wetlands, the wildlife vanishes. As we conserve such habitats, we should also avoid littering plastic material and emitting fumes and gases into the atmosphere,” Tendo implored.

Tendo Zikusoka with his mother, Gladys Kalema, during the gorilla tracking expedition in Bwindi national park. (Credit: Julius Luwemba)

Tendo Zikusoka with his mother, Gladys Kalema, during the gorilla tracking expedition in Bwindi national park. (Credit: Julius Luwemba)

About gorilla census

John Tugumisirize, a ranger guide in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi National Park, said the gorilla census is supposed to be carried out at most every five years.

“This is because gorillas tend to have 4-5 years of child spacing,” Tugumisirize remarked. Mountain gorillas are found only in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the national parks of Bwindi, Volcanoes, and Virungas National Park, respectively.

The previous mountain gorilla census of 2018 in Bwindi-Sarambwe gave an estimate of 459 individuals. Together with the Virunga census results of 2015, the total population of mountain gorillas was estimated at 1,063.

This year’s gorilla census will be coordinated by the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), a coalition of conservation organisations in the region. Information from IGCP indicates that the gorilla census does not actually involve counting individual gorillas.

“Survey teams instead search for signs of mountain gorillas, such as trails and footprints, and use these to locate gorilla nest sites, where they collect faecal samples that are stored and used for genetic and pathogen analyses,” states IGCP.

“Ahead of the census, a lot of work is already going on, including planning, engaging stakeholders, and fundraising for the census,” expressed Jean Paul, the IGCP deputy director.

He noted that the upcoming Bwindi census is expected to cost $700,000 (sh2.6b).

“Mountain gorilla censuses are an expensive investment that requires robust planning, mobilisation, fundraising, involvement, and collaboration of all conservation stakeholders,” he noted.

The upcoming Bwindi-Sarambwe population survey of mountain gorillas will be conducted by the protected area authorities in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Uganda Wildlife Authority and l’Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature) under the transboundary framework of the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration.

The census will also be supported by the Rwanda Development Board, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Gorilla Doctors/Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF Uganda Country Office, Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Trust, and Primate Expertise, among others.

Keeping Gorillas and People Healthy

Wildlife veterinarian Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka on integrating healthcare for human and nonhuman communities.

Nearly three decades ago, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka became Uganda’s first national wildlife veterinarian. At the time, hardly any women worked in conservation in the country and no female rangers operated in the field. At just 25 years old, and freshly-graduated from the Royal Veterinary College of London, she established the veterinary unit at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). She’s been a trailblazer ever since, working to protect the country’s wildlife — in particular, its declining mountain gorilla populations — while safeguarding local communities as well. She has been instrumental in popularizing a community-based “one health” approach to conservation.

Without African leadership, environmental programs in the continent are unlikely to last long, says Kalema-Zikusoka. Photo by UNEP / Kibuuka Mukisa.

Her early years as a wildlife vet with UWA laid bare the reality that many people, mostly underprivileged, share habitats with gorillas in Uganda’s montane forests and that has health implications for the great apes. For example, a 1996 scabies outbreak among gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park pointed to human-wildlife disease transmission. Caring for the diseased animals left Kalema-Zikusoka contemplating the importance of supporting the health of local communities, too.

First-hand experiences like this planted the seeds of Kalema-Zikusoka’s pioneering conservation work and inspired her to found Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) in 2003 to address badly-overlooked health and sanitation needs in forest-adjacent communities, mitigate disease transmission from humans to gorillas, and support local livelihoods.

Some 20 years later, her efforts are paying off. From around 650 in 1996, the total mountain gorilla population has grown to over 1,000.

Kalema-Zikusoka has been widely recognized for her work, earning the 2009 Whitley Gold Award, which celebrates advocates of biodiversity, and UNEP’s 2021 Champion of the Earth for Science and Innovation. She was named one of BBC’s 100 inspiring and influential women in 2023 for her work to mitigate the impacts of climate change on gorillas. Her memoir, Walking with Gorillas, was published last year. Kalema-Zikusoka spoke with me recently about the importance of African-led conservation work on the continent, the unique role of women in the field, and the dangers of overreliance on tourism dollars to support environmental campaigns.

What are the key lessons you have learned over the years about sustainable conservation with long-lasting impact?

As an NGO, we’ve learned the importance of engaging the government through meaningful discussions and not just telling the government what it should be doing. I worked for the government for four-and-a-half years, and NGOs can sometimes be seen as arrogant. Have a discussion with those in government to explain the mission of the organization and what you are trying to achieve. [At CTPH] we organize strategic planning workshops and consultations to get buy-in, otherwise the government will not support the work.

It is also important to engage communities that interact directly with the wildlife and stand to benefit the most from living next to wildlife. Don’t force your ideas down people’s throats, but discuss the problem and let them come up with the solution. Without meaningful engagement, local people cannot become conservationists and protectors of wildlife.

Why are African-led efforts in environmental issues important?

Because that’s the only way conservation efforts will be implemented and work in the long term. Many people have come in and out of Africa imposing their ideas, and some are very good. But without African leadership, these programs are unlikely to last long. Investments are needed to train local people; otherwise they will not realize their potential. Africans in conservation programs can become project leaders or become local and national leaders. It is important to develop local leadership. If not, talented people will leave conservation and join other sectors with better opportunities for career promotion.

Kalema-Zikusoka realized early on that protecting the health of great apes meant supporting the health and well-being of communities that share habitat and interact directly with the wildlife around them. Photo by UNEP / Kibuuka Mukisa.

In what ways are you driving African-led initiatives in great ape conservation?

For many years, I attended conferences of the International Primate Society (IPS) in Europe or America to talk about primates in Africa, but there were hardly any Africans present. They couldn’t afford to travel or were not promoted enough at their organizations to speak at international conferences. For this reason, I started the African Primate Society (APS) in 2016, with other primatologists, including Dr. Inza Kone from Ivory Coast, Dr. Ekwoge Enang Abwe from Cameroon, Dr. Riashna Sithaldeen from South Africa, and Dr. Rachel Ikemeh from Nigeria.

The first APS conference in Ivory Coast had about 150 delegates, and 80 percent were African primatologists. They gave scientific talks, presented abstracts, and spoke about their work. At the Uganda conference in 2019, 85 percent of the 300 delegates were native Africans. I believe the public in Nigeria, for example, is going to be more convinced by a Ugandan researcher than by somebody coming from [the West]. That is why it is really important to have more African-led conservation efforts.

What is the unique role of women in wildlife management, conservation, and veterinary work?

When I started, there were hardly any women in conservation and no female rangers. Ugandan society did not encourage women to live in remote areas and do dangerous work, like following wildlife or carrying guns.

But conservation requires collaboration with many sectors, such as affected communities, local authorities, the government, the private sector, NGOs, community-based organizations, and others. At CTPH we collaborate with healthcare workers to improve community well-being and we work with sectors such as environmental, tourism, and farming to achieve our conservation goals. I find that women are more holistic, less competitive, and willing to work with different stakeholders and to learn from others.

In villages and communities, women are more engaged in healthcare. Conservation linked to healthcare gets more women involved in wildlife protection, which helps us to achieve gender balance. At meetings with reformed poachers, some wives admitted to encouraging their husbands to poach animals to put food on the table. So, it is not enough to look at wildlife. We must look at the structures of communities and families and what drives people to do what they do.

 

Women invest in families and communities for the long term. They are willing to speak up in a crowd and want to educate their girls because they now see female role models and women doing things out there. Today, 4 out of 15 wildlife vets in Uganda are women and approximately 20 percent of wildlife rangers are female. If you look at primate research around the world, the longest studies were started by women. Dr. Jane Goodall began chimpanzee work in Gombe, Tanzania, in 1960. Birut Galdikas’ research on orangutans in Borneo is coming on 50 years now. The late Dian Fossey’s gorilla study program in Rwanda is still going strong [nearly 60 years after she started it]. Women are more likely to stick to one thing and see it through.

Tourism remains a key economic driver. How do you see the balance with conservation going forward?

I would say that tourism is still a necessary evil. Conservation efforts in partnership with tourism are bigger and more sustainable because of the tourism funds. In Uganda, by an act of Parliament, 20 percent of national park entry fees and [funds from a] $10 per gorilla permit in Bwindi [Impenetrable National Park] goes to the local community.

Tourism reinforces government efforts in monitoring wildlife and uplifting communities. Ninety percent of tourism staff in Bwindi are from the local community. Tourism that engages local communities sustains conservation efforts better because families benefit from viable income, and they protect animals rather than hunt them.

It is also important to promote local entrepreneurship, such as people who make crafts, sell food, provide accommodation, and do community walks. Our organization brings visitors to the Gorilla Conservation Coffee farmers because a responsible tourist does not only visit gorillas but spends time with the community. When the community meets the tourists, they are less likely to poach.

The negative side of tourism, however, is overreliance, and the pandemic showed this. When tourism stopped, poaching was high in places like Bwindi where people were totally dependent on tourism to survive. A well-known silverback gorilla called Rafiki was poached in 2020, which would not have happened except for the pandemic. We realized that many people were not getting enough to eat and had gone back to bushmeat hunting. Our solution was to provide fast-growing crop seedlings, and the locals have continued to plant even when tourism returned. The pandemic was a wake-up call about relying solely on tourism for conservation efforts.

 

We must also take care that tourists do not make gorillas and chimpanzees sick with respiratory diseases. During the pandemic, we led advocacy efforts with the government for visitors to wear masks when visiting great apes, to keep a respectable distance, and to make sure tourists are healthy by taking their temperatures. The practice has continued beyond the pandemic to protect wildlife from human diseases that could wipe them out.

She also believes that local people will become conservationists and protectors of wildlife only if they are given the agency to discuss the problem and come up with solutions. Photo by Jo Anne McArthur.

Sustainability is key for wildlife conservation. How successful has upscaling the Village Health and Conservation Teams (VHCT) initiative, which trains community volunteers to deliver public health services and conservation education to local communities, been?

What makes VHCTs sustainable is using existing health structures. Community health workers are everywhere, and we can train them in conservation services as well. The system is set up so that NGOs and others who are interested can support village health workers or conservation work. Wherever you have health issues you also have environmental issues.

In Mount Elgon National Park, in eastern Uganda, we don’t have an NGO partner on the ground, but we work with the local government. This comes with its challenges, but we structure it in such a way that the initiative is owned by the government. In the Budongo area of western Uganda, we work with the Jane Goodall Institute, which has really embraced the program. The program has expanded to Virunga National Park in the DRC. VHCT staff in the Mount Tshiabirimu and Mikeno areas have continued working through the rebel activities, visiting homes whenever it is safe, to improve health, sanitation, and hygiene. Somehow we have kept it going, although we need more families [participating] in DRC like in Uganda. We are looking to introduce VHCTs in other countries with gorillas. The challenge is introducing and sustaining the project without needing to provide additional funding.

The current global gorilla population is just over 1,000. What is the ideal number and what needs to be done to achieve this?

We’re glad the gorilla population is growing, but they are still very few. Continued efforts are needed through conservation, veterinary care, and community engagement. Healthcare is a good entry point for conservation programs because then people feel that you don’t only care about wildlife. As community health improves, gorillas will fall sick less often from human diseases.

We must continue looking at livelihoods and making sure communities benefit through eco-tourism. CTPH has created a policy brief on channelling tourism resources to conservation in all African countries with great apes, alongside mask-wearing, safety, and encouraging tourists to visit communities.

More space is needed for gorillas because their numbers are growing, but there isn’t enough land. We must expand protected areas by encouraging people to sell their land to increase gorilla habitats. We have done it in Rwanda and are starting to work on it in Uganda.

How does the Ugandan public view gorillas and wildlife conservation?

Generally, the public is more appreciative of our natural assets, habitats, and conservation efforts, especially around gorillas. People appreciate the role of gorillas in bringing back tourism and lifting people out of poverty. When CTPH started, people wondered why we were integrating human health with animal health and conservation. Now they realize it’s important to do it together for long-term outcomes. We now have a gorilla picture on the 50-shilling note.

Your career has not been easy. What keeps you going?

The feeling that I’m making a difference, that the situation for wildlife is improving, and that communities are appreciating wildlife more. Seeing more youth and women in conservation gives me hope. Watching the number of mountain gorillas growing means our work is making a difference and it is worth continuing with the struggle. Local leadership can improve, but when communities that once hated wildlife now appreciate it and want to see tourists in parks, it gives me hope.

Having Ugandan role models championing conservation efforts makes people want to protect wildlife and realize it is not for foreigners but for us, our children, and grandchildren. I want to encourage more role models, especially women in leadership and conservation, and to challenge things even if it involves going against societal norms. Also, my faith in God keeps me going, because it can be depressing when things go wrong. This work is a calling, and we just have to keep going.

 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.