Uganda – Zombo – Triage

Next roast date Monday Jan. 26, next shipping date Wednesday Jan. 28! 

This coffee consists of sorted-out beans that can’t be sold as “specialty coffee.” It’s a bit like crooked bananas, they can’t be sold in the supermarket even though they still taste great! So the beans have visual defects, but that doesn’t mean they taste bad!

In April of this year, I was in Uganda, among other places, and visited Zombo Coffee and the producers who work with Zombo in the region around Nebbi. Zombo is the passion project of Andy Carlton, who initially developed a pilot project for an aid organization to improve the conditions of coffee farmers around Nebbi. The first year, the project went really well, but unfortunately, the organization withdrew from the region.

Understandably, Andy was frustrated, not only because he had put a lot of work into the project, but also because he had seen a significant improvement in the farmers’ quality of life. Andy is an incredibly energetic 75-year-old Englishman who couldn’t just let that go. So he invested all his savings, and even money from his siblings, into creating Zombo.

Zombo set up microstations in the villages. Here, farmers can now bring in their coffee cherries and get paid immediately for their coffee. The microstations then handle the processing of the beans, removing them from the cherries and drying them. Before Zombo became active in the region, the farmers were at the mercy of middlemen who offered them next to nothing for their coffee and sometimes even pressured or deceived them into selling it. On top of that, theft was a major problem. If the farmers weren’t careful, their entire harvest could be stolen.

After drying, the coffee is taken to Zombo’s factory. There, the beans are separated from their final husk, and any defective beans are sorted out.

These sorted-out beans are sold by Zombo for a very low price, and that’s where I come in. During my trip, I drank this “triage coffee” every morning and we also cupped it alongside other coffees. I found that, despite the defects, this coffee was excellent. So I talked with Andy and This Side Up about whether I could get a few bags of it. We pay Zombo more for these triage beans than what they would normally get on the local market, ensuring that they end up with more money which directly benefits the coffee farmers around Nebbi.

This 100% Arabica coffee offers pleasant flavors of nuts, chocolate, and light fruity notes.

Want to learn more about Zombo? Click here and check out their website!

• Villages: Ajere, Gonyopbendo, Ndhew, Pamitu, Ambe, Ayaka, Mitapila, Leda, Jukia (imore than 1000 farmers in total)
• Producer: Zombo Coffee
• Produced in: West Nile Region around Nebbi, Uganda
• Altitude: 1200m – 1700m
• Varieties: SL 14, Bourbon
• Taste notes: chocolate, nuts, dried fruits, cherries
• Process: mixed (washed and natural)
• 100% Arabica
• Harvested by hand
• Fairly traded