Southwestern Women Bean Growers and Marketing Cooperative Union

Empowering women bean farmers through the establishment of collective marketing

2014 SEED Africa Award Winner Sustainable Agriculture Kampala, Uganda

Our enterprise enhances women smallholder farmers' capacities to produce and market the best sugar beans for canning in the world in high-value markets, thus improving their incomes and livelihoods.

It is envisaged that the livelihoods of the women engaged in the enterprise will improve by way of collective production and marketing.

With community help, we’ve built a store which will soon serve as a collection centre for the pre-marketing of beans. This will greatly help farmers to bulk and favourably market their produce.

We envisage that through our enterprise, 65% of the two districts’ entire population will see an improvement in food and nutrition security resulting from increased production, consumption and income.

The Southwestern Women Bean Growers Union acts as a co-operative for women sugar bean producers. In this capacity the enterprise sources markets, demands fair prices and provides members with production, post-harvest handling, and business management training. Women help to finance the co-operative through contributing one kilogram of produce per season.

Still in its infancy stages, the enterprise already has over 1,000 active farmers. The enterprise empowers women by helping them to see financial possibility in what have been, until now, small localised farming ventures. The effects of this include increasing the women’s societal status as income-earners, while the cash flow contributes to better food security, health and education opportunities.

Eco-Inclusive Impacts

The enterprise empowers women by helping them to see financial possibility in what has been, until now, small localised farming ventures. This increases women’s societal status as income-earners, while the cash flow contributes to better food security, health and education opportunities.

Encouraging women to develop their farms beyond subsistence level, empowering them to compete in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Improving food security for 65% of the districts’ populations through increased production, income and food availability.

Replanting of trees used to stake the climbing beans, thus reducing soil erosion and stabilising hilltops across 500 acres.
Producing a fast-cooking bean variety, thereby reducing wood fuel demand as the beans cook quicker than other varieties available in Uganda.

Saving energy and money for consumers, as the beans cook fast.
Growing a sustainable local industry, thus boosting the region’s economic output.
Providing farmers’ families with the financial means to pay for necessities like school fees.

Partners

This enterprise is supported through its partnerships with various stakeholders, ranging from national and international organisations, investors, research institutes, suppliers, governmental bodies, NGOs, other social and environmental enterprises and more.

Southwestern Women Bean Growers Union forms the core driving force of the enterprise. It currently employs seven full-time and nine part-time staff who work with partner organisations and the local community to build the capacity of the enterprise.

National Agricultural Research Organisation has been involved in all aspects of forming the enterprise. It supplies foundation bean seeds to the cooperative seed producers and provides technical input on seed and grain production.

Bugara Women Bean Seed Producers Association plays the role of a seed company, helps to multiply the sugar bean seed that is sold to the grain producers to boost production.

Kisoro District Local Government helps to mobilise the enterprise and its members bysupporting their activities at a local governmental level.

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Isaac Joseph Mugagga
P. O BOX 7084
Kampala, Uganda

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel: +256 772 322 460

http://www.nacrri.go.ug/

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In the SEED Library you can find all our publications, latest news, blog posts, toolkits, videos, event reports, case studies and more

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Explore our Topics section to learn more about how collaboration around eco-inclusive entrepreneurship drives global agendas