About us

Rwenzori Sustainable Trade Centre (RSTC) is a company limited by guarantee which was formed in November 2015. Since 2008, parents from 12 hard to reach communities in the Rwenzori mountains of Western Uganda have received support funded by an international company to build schools in a context of post conflict. However, the poverty levels in the communities continued to act as a barrier to parents sending their children to school. The company changed tack and supported the formation of a local team to mobilize parents to engage in the trade of locally grown cash crops like coffee, cocoa, and cotton and handcraft making, transforming the project from ‘Aid to Trade’ with a Rwenzori Sustainable Trade Programme.  The RSTC was formed to build on the previous programme work and become an independent Ugandan company.

Vision Statement: Sustainable cooperatives, competitive trade, and world class products and services.

Our Mission: Supporting thriving communities and viable cooperative businesses and sustainable social development.

Dedicated to excellence, RSTC works with producers to achieve only the best, premium products and inspiring social change.

We establish markets that bring value to three sets of stakeholders: cooperative members and women’s groups, trading partners, and consumers who care about where their products come from.

RSTC represents the interests of some 2500 farmers in five cooperatives, four of which have Fairtrade certification.  Four out of the five cooperatives grow and bulk coffee

What we do

  • Build systems and structures that help producers manage their operations more formally and professionally
  • Training in business and financial management
  • Pre-financing: RSTC works with financial institutions to provide credit lines to facilitate production, bulking and logistics activities
  • Monitoring and supporting the improvement and quality of all products to be able to compete in the international market
  • Ensuring compliance with certification standards, regulatory laws, and buyers’ ethical policies
  • Marketing products both locally and internationally
  • Linking Rwenzori producer groups, associations and cooperatives to other key stakeholders that can help them in various ways to advance.

Contact details

Located in the western part of Uganda, Kabarole District.
Plot 10, Government Avenue, Boma, Fort Portal Town,
Telephone: +256 779525317/70343003
Email address: info@rwenzorisustainable.org
Website: www.rwenzorisustainable.org