The Uganda-Italy coffee forum: what Rome's roasters want beyond raw beans

The Uganda-Italy coffee forum: what Rome's roasters want beyond raw beans

Uganda's first Uganda-Italy Business and Investment Forum, opened in Rome on 13 October 2026, put coffee at the centre of the agenda and asked Italian firms to process coffee inside Uganda rather than import it as raw material, the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda reported. Italy is already Uganda's largest coffee customer, so the forum changes ambition, not traffic.

What did the Uganda-Italy forum agree in Rome?

The two-day event at the Rome Cavalieri hotel was organised by Uganda's Embassy in Italy with Confindustria Assafrica and Mediterraneo, UNIDO ITPO Italy and Bergs and More. Africa e Affari reported that the agribusiness workshop targeted the gap where over 95 per cent of Ugandan coffee still ships green. Italy's Deputy Director-General for the Promotion of Italy and Economic Internationalisation said Italy wanted joint ventures in Uganda rather than focusing solely on exports, Nilepost reported.

How big is the Uganda-Italy coffee lane?

Italy took 247,872 60kg bags of Ugandan coffee in July 2026, 29.3 per cent of the month's exports, 242,943 of them Robusta and 4,929 Arabica, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority reports. Uganda shipped 103,114 tonnes of green coffee to Italy in 2024 worth US$426.1 million, UN Comtrade data show. The CBI counts Italy importing 243,000 tonnes of green Robusta in 2024, 38,000 from Uganda, a Robusta-only count that does not match Comtrade.

Which grades does Italy actually buy?

Hez Kimoomi Alinda, executive director of the Uganda Free Zones and Export Promotion Authority, said Italy mostly uses Uganda's high-grade robusta to blend with coffee from Brazil and elsewhere. Uganda's July 2026 mix was 775,148 Robusta and 71,228 Arabica bags.

Grade	July 2026 bags	Share of type	Average US$/kg
Screen 18	131,524	17.0%	4.0
Screen 15	425,856	54.9%	3.9
Screen 12	99,904	12.9%	3.8
BHP 1199	34,963	4.5%	2.9
Drugar	31,223	43.8%	6.3
Wugar	10,999	15.4%	6.6

Which ports does the corridor run through?

Ugandan coffee moves FOB Mombasa, FOT Kampala or Mbale, or CIF, the Uganda Country Coffee Profile sets out, which puts a minimum of 45 days from Kampala or Mbale to any European port via Mombasa, a published benchmark. Customs clears under the East African Single Customs Territory at Mombasa or Dar es Salaam, with internal borders including Malaba, Busia and Mutukula, the Uganda Revenue Authority explains. Italy was the EU's second coffee entry point on import records in 2025, at 608,000 tonnes, mostly through Trieste and Genoa, European Coffee Federation figures show.

What would local processing change for both sides?

Kampala's case is arithmetic: a kilogramme of finished coffee sells for about 50 euros in Italy, and Uganda consumes only about 7 per cent of what it produces, the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda reported. Italy produced 424,168 tonnes of roasted and instant coffee in 2025 across about 1,000 roasters, Il Sole 24 Ore reports.

What this means for buyers

Read the forum as a competitive signal, not a supply change. Green coffee still moves. Italy blends Uganda's high-grade robusta, and the July 2026 price bands run from US$4.0 a kilogram for screen 18 to US$2.9 for BHP 1199. An Italian soluble plant would compete for the same lots.

Expect more paperwork: EUDR readiness was the question Italian buyers put, answered with 1.5 million farmers registered and 1.6 million gardens mapped. Book port slots early: Kenya's suspended maritime licensing rules remain in flux at Mombasa, and treat the Teso robusta push as a new frontier, not a contract line.

FAQ

Q: How many bags of Ugandan coffee does Italy take?
A: Italy took 247,872 60kg bags in July 2026, 29.3 per cent of that month's exports, 242,943 Robusta and 4,929 Arabica, per UCDA.

Q: Which ports do Ugandan coffee shipments to Italy use?
A: Mombasa is the FOB loading port, with FOT Kampala or Mbale and CIF also used. The Uganda Country Coffee Profile puts a minimum of 45 days to any European port.

Q: Will the Rome forum change what Uganda exports?
A: Not yet. Africa e Affari reported that over 95 per cent of Ugandan coffee still ships green, and the July 2026 mix was 92 per cent Robusta by volume. The forum produced intentions, not committed capacity.