The government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), has entered into a strategic partnership with an internationally accredited certification body to certify European market-bound agricultural products, aiming to increase export volumes on the global stage with a primary focus on coffee.
The initiative centers on the official launch of the Control Union Academy-Uganda, the training and educational arm of Control Union-a global entity specializing in testing, inspection, and certification. The academy is designed to bridge operational gaps by training local stakeholders and delivering practical knowledge on implementing international market compliance requirements directly on the ground.
The intervention comes at a critical time when global trade regulations are tightening, and local exporters are facing pushback over non-compliance. Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture at the launch event in Kampala, Dr. Teddy Asio, the Assistant Commissioner for Seed Inspection and Certification, highlighted the urgency of addressing export rejections.
“Farmers have started complaining because exports were being returned for destruction due to quality issues,” Dr. Asio said. “We shall work together with the Control Union Academy and also retool our own staff in different technical aspects for better service delivery.”
Dr. Asio added that the academy’s opening coincides with the ministry’s upcoming rollout of a dedicated project targeted at improving national certification systems and expanding Uganda’s export footprint.
Addressing the broader context of environmental standards, Dr. Gordon Katwirenabo, Assistant Commissioner for Quality Assurance and Value Addition at MAAIF, emphasized that sustainability is becoming non-negotiable in global trade. He noted that the Global Coffee Platform estimates roughly 20 percent-or 1.7 million metric tons-of globally traded coffee was produced or consumed under sustainable principles by 2024.
“Recently, people were crying over the effects of climate change, partly because we cannot guarantee that the land we use right now will guarantee production for our children and grandchildren,” Dr. Katwirenabo stated. “Sustainability partly addresses this, and we recognize the Control Union Academy as a key partner in ensuring that sustainability remains a core principle along our entire production and processing value chain.”
Dr. Katwirenabo further explained that under the government’s agro-industrialization program, value addition remains a priority.
However, he urged the academy to help lower the financial burden of compliance for local producers, noting that nearly 5 percent of sustainably grown coffee is currently sold as conventional coffee at lower market prices due to certification barriers and over-reliance on external accreditors. To resolve this, he proposed building sustainable international collaborations to eventually domesticate standard certifications.
Explaining the necessity of formal accreditation for international trade, Mr. Tadeo Kalamaga, Managing Director of Control Union Academy-Uganda, noted that meeting buyer conditions is essential for securing premium markets.
“The world market has conditions. You cannot simply pack 100 kilograms of coffee and cross into export markets without the necessary documentation,” Mr. Kalamaga explained. “We are certifying because we want to target those export markets that offer better prices and higher revenues. To get those better markets, you must fulfill the buyer’s conditions.”
The move also reinforces Uganda’s rapidly expanding organic sector, which relies heavily on European demand. Dr. Chariton Namuwoza, Chief Executive Officer of the National Organic Agriculture Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU), noted that 80 percent of Uganda’s organic exports are destined for the European Union market.
“Recent statistics indicate that 93 percent of Uganda’s chia and 88 percent of sesame exported to the EU are certified organic,” Dr. Namuwoza said. “Statistical evidence shows that Uganda predominantly exports organic oilseeds to the EU, which remains our largest market.”
Dr. Namuwoza added that the number of certified organic farmers in Uganda has grown exponentially from 10,000 in 2019-when the National Organic Agriculture Policy was introduced-to 230,000, with projections reaching 741,000 certified farmers as policy adoption expands nationwide.
Reinforcing the economic imperative of export standards, Mr. Odrek Rwabogo, Chairperson of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), advised exporters to prioritize rigorous certification to penetrate competitive global markets and drive national economic development.