The Adjumani District Council has officially named a rare indigenous wild coffee species found in the Zoka Central Forest Reserve as “Zoka Coffee” in what conservationists have described as a major breakthrough for environmental protection and scientific research in northern Uganda.
A council document seen by this publication reveals that the resolution, passed during an ordinary council meeting on May 7, 2026, formally recognises the unique wild coffee variety and directs district technical departments to work with national authorities, the National Agricultural Research Organisation and civil society organisations to formalise the naming according to international scientific standards.
The move followed a petition submitted by Friends of Zoka, a conservation organisation that has spent the last decade campaigning for the protection of the Zoka Central Forest Reserve from illegal logging, charcoal burning, and agricultural encroachment.
Friends of Zoka Board Chairman, Angelo Izama, welcomed the council decision, describing it as long-overdue recognition for both the forest and the Ma’di community.
“Zoka Forest has sheltered this coffee for millennia. Its name now dignifies its location and the heritage of the Ma’di community. This is long overdue,” Izama said.
Environmental activists believe the recognition could attract international scientific attention to Zoka Forest, which is considered one of the most ecologically important tropical forests in the West Nile sub-region.
According to conservation experts, wild coffee species are becoming increasingly important as climate change threatens global coffee production dominated by Arabica and Robusta varieties.
Researchers worldwide are searching for resilient coffee species with traits such as drought tolerance, disease resistance, and improved flavour qualities.
Friends of Zoka Team Leader, William Leslie Amanzuru, said the naming gives conservation efforts a stronger identity and increases community involvement in protecting the forest.
“Naming Zoka Coffee focuses scientific attention on the forest, creates an identity that conservation can rally around, and gives local communities a direct stake in protecting what grows there. The Council’s resolution turns a conservation argument into public policy,” Amanzuru said.
The organisation said the recognition could also pave the way for geographical indication protections, eco-tourism opportunities, and sustainable livelihoods for communities neighbouring the reserve.
The Zoka Central Forest Reserve, located in Adjumani District within the traditional territory of the Ma’di community, remains under pressure from illegal human activities despite years of conservation campaigns.
Founded in 2016, Friends of Zoka said the latest council resolution marks its most significant civic and policy achievement since the organisation was established.
The group is now calling upon government ministries, research institutions, conservation agencies, and the international specialty coffee industry to support scientific classification and long-term protection of the Zoka Central Forest Reserve.