Background information
Plutus Coffee Group, founded in 2021, is the brainchild of Johannes De Heer, whose 40 years in the coffee business shaped its direct and practical mission: to get local farmer groups ready for successful international exports. To make this happen, Plutus provides a wide array of support. They offer market intelligence, hands-on agricultural training, and crucial preparation for certifications. Most importantly, they provide essential guidance on the tough new EU rules for deforestation and sustainability. The company’s team of seasoned agronomists are on the ground, working directly with clients ranging from small farmer co-ops to global buyers to improve every step of the process.
TDC Support
With new market demands creating urgent challenges, Enabel’s TDC stepped in, awarding Plutus a grant (45.000 euros) for its 24-month project named ‘Promoting Climate Smart Coffee Production in Uganda and EU Deforestation Regulation and Corporate Social Sustainability Due Diligence Directive Compliant Coffee Export to EU market.’ The project is a timely and critical move to align Ugandan coffee production with the EU’s strict new sustainability rules.
At the very heart of this effort are the 7,600 smallholder farmers of the Rwandaro Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Society (RCFCS) in Uganda’s South Western Rubirizi District. The project is designed to arm these farmers with the practical skills and tools they need to succeed in the EU market, by producing coffee that’s sustainable and by championing fair treatment for workers.
Progress
During the first three months of the project, from April to July 2025, the team focused on four crucial areas: EUDR compliance, cooperative governance, climate-smart agriculture (CSA), and gender and youth inclusion.
The project brought in Dimitra, a technology partner that uses blockchain for agriculture. Already, 875 farmers are on board, with 560 mapped by GPS and 100 having the full farm polygon data needed to meet EU standards.
But technology is only half the battle. Plutus trained the entire co-op staff and 15 new field agents—all local women and youth—to use these new digital tools. At the same time, they took a hard look at the co-op’s finances, creating practical tools like a Financial Literacy Manual to tighten up accountability.
On the farms themselves, the project is already looking to the future. After assessing climate risks, the team has identified three sites for new nurseries to grow resilient seedlings. Furthermore, waste assessments have been completed to evaluate the potential for introducing income-generating activities like Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming and eco-briquette production from coffee husks. To cap it all off, a Plutus representative took samples of Rwandaro’s Arabica coffee to the World of Coffee trade fair in Geneva, making crucial connections with international buyers.
This partnership between Plutus and Enabel’s TDC is about much more than ticking regulatory boxes. It’s a ground-up effort to build a coffee sector that is resilient, fair, and ready for the future, ensuring that the farmers of Rubirizi don’t just survive in the new global market, but thrive in it.
