Meeting the sustainability supply chain expectations of the global market with a focus on GVC framework : understanding a Ugandan coffee producer’s perspective

Abstract

This study explores how Ugandan coffee suppliers navigate global sustainability supply chain expectations within the Global Value Chain (GVC) framework. As Uganda emerges as now Africa’s leading coffee exporter, the sector faces increasing compliance pressures with evolving environmental and social due diligence regulations. The research employs a qualitative case study design combining document and policy analysis with one semi-structured interview through coding to identify the enablers, constraints and adaptive mechanism that shape supplier responses to meeting sustainability requirements. Findings reveal that while sustainability compliance fosters process and product upgrading opportunities, it also reinforces structural inequalities by transferring compliance burdens upstream to smallholder farmers. The study concludes that Ugandan coffee industry’s ability to meet global sustainability expectations depends on strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing digital traceability and promoting climate-smart adaptive techniques. Shared-responsibility financing between global buyers and local suppliers is essential in ensuring inclusive and equitable participation in global coffee trade.

The findings contribute to the broader discourse on sustainability within agricultural trade, GVC governance, and the balance between market access and developmental inclusion in developing-country supply chains.