ICP reaches 12,819 households as women’s empowerment drives resilience in coffee sector
According to the report, Uganda recorded some of the highest training participation levels among project countries
KAMPALA, June 20, 2026 — International Coffee Partners [ICP] supported 12,819 smallholder coffee farming households across five countries in 2025, helping farmers strengthen incomes, climate resilience and livelihood diversification despite continued pressure from climate change and volatile global markets.
According to the organisation’s 2025 Annual Report, rising international coffee prices delivered short-term income gains for farmers but also heightened dependence on favourable market conditions, exposing vulnerabilities across coffee-growing communities.
ICP said erratic rainfall, prolonged drought and increasing pest pressure continued to disrupt production, underlining the cyclical nature of the coffee economy and the need to strengthen long-term resilience among farming households.
The projects were implemented in Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia, Tanzania and Uganda, while a new legacy initiative was launched in Ethiopia to build on previous investments in farmer skills, productivity and climate adaptation.
Across all participating countries, ICP focused on farmer training, climate-smart agriculture, livelihood diversification, strengthening farmer organisations and improving participation by women and young people.
Women accounted for 45 per cent of all participants in training and project activities during the year, while youth represented 21 per cent. ICP worked with 487 farmer organisations to extend services, improve market access and strengthen local institutions.
According to the report, Uganda recorded some of the highest training participation levels among project countries.
In Uganda, ICP supported 2,132 farming households and worked with 86 farmer organisations. Farmers participated in 1,779 training sessions, with women making up 52 per cent of participants and youth accounting for 26 per cent.
On average, each Ugandan farmer attended 14 training sessions during the year.
The report showed annual household income among participating Ugandan farmers rose from US$1,793 in 2024 to US$1,949 in 2025.
ICP attributed the gains to an integrated approach combining participatory climate planning, Farmer Field School training and strengthening cooperative institutions.
All participating cooperatives developed and implemented Cooperative Improvement Action Plans aimed at improving governance, service delivery and financial management.
The report also highlighted progress in gender inclusion, with households reporting stronger joint decision-making and planning through the Gender Household Approach.
Uganda’s Women’s Empowerment Index rose from 64 per cent in 2024 to 66 per cent in 2025.
Across other countries, household incomes also improved.
In Brazil, annual household income increased from US$16,033 to US$18,170 as farmers improved record-keeping and strengthened market engagement through farmer organisations.
Honduras recorded one of the strongest income gains, rising from US$7,938 to US$10,372, supported by wider adoption of Good Agricultural Practices and climate-smart farming techniques.
Indonesia’s participating households saw incomes increase from US$2,925 to US$4,781, driven in part by women-led budgeting, home gardening and food production initiatives.
In Tanzania, average annual household income rose from US$1,227 to US$1,441 as farmers improved financial planning and organisational capacity.
Meanwhile, ICP launched the Coffee Alliances for Ethiopia [CAFE] Legacy Project, which will work with 10 cooperatives and one cooperative union, directly reaching more than 2,000 members and indirectly benefiting approximately 12,000 coffee farming households.
The initiative will focus on cooperative governance, business competitiveness, coffee quality, youth and women’s leadership, and investment in post-harvest infrastructure.
ICP said integrated livelihood support remains critical as smallholder farmers face increasingly complex decisions around climate risks and market opportunities.
The organisation argued that empowering women remains central to building stronger and more resilient coffee-growing communities, noting that women continue to play an important role in improving household productivity, income stability and long-term sustainability.
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