External Research

Since 2020, we have partnered with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on annual research consultancy projects delivered by master’s students. The 2025/26 project asked: “Through which strategies can TCG support smallholder farmers in building resilience to climate change?” It explored how TCG could support farmers on Uganda’s Mount Elgon while balancing its environmental, social and commercial objectives. The team used a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data analysis with interviews, a literature review and case studies.

The research found that financial pressures and limited resources often prevent farmers from adopting Good Agricultural Practices, even when they understand their benefits. It identified three main recommendations:

  • Support coffee-tree stumping with incentives to help farmers manage the temporary loss of production.

  • Trial cover crops such as Mucuna and Desmodium to improve soil health and reduce erosion.

  • Organise collective composting through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to share costs and improve access to organic fertiliser.

The main lesson was that training is most effective when supported by practical incentives, trusted relationships and community cooperation. The project recommended starting with small, locally delivered trials, allowing farmers to observe results, provide feedback and adapt practices to their circumstances before wider implementation. It produced an implementation roadmap, although limitations in the available evidence mean that the proposed interventions and their benefits still need to be assessed locally.

In 2024/25, students at LSE explored how TCG can strategically scale its financial services while minimising repayment risks. By examining tailored credit access, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion, the research project recommended an integrated, segmented approach to cultivating triple bottom line impact.

In 2023/24, LSE students developed a new monitoring and evaluation framework for us to measure our impact on the lives of our farmers. This framework has enabled us, for the first time, to provide farmers with scorecards so they can assess their performance and set their own goals.

Capital Coalitions conducted a “Natural Capital” Impact Analysis to assess and quantify our environmental impact on society (Dec 2022).

"The Coffee Gardens is already demonstrating how, with the right investments, growth and sustainability can be decoupled. Increased processing and profitability does not have to equate to an increased cost to the environment and society. TCG is leading the sector into new opportunity for greener market premiums."

Café Africa mentions us in their Review and Analysis of policies, strategies, attitudes, practices and institutions for strengthening coffee agroforestry in Uganda as one of the case studies including organisations that promote coffee agroforestry among smallholder farmers.

“In 2018, the company set up micro-coffee processing station in the Bukyabo valley in Sironko district, with strict processing practices using state of the art equipment and mobile tools to track each batch of  coffee  from the  gardens to  the  store.  Working  with  over  500  farming  households,  the  company  offers above market prices, undertakes trainings and access to finance, as a motivation to farmers for higher cup scores, creating an incentive to improve coffee growing practices.”

Social & Environmental Projects

Learn about our on-going social and environmental projects with our local community and see how you can get involved!