This paper investigates how Bugishu specialty coffee has evolved from a locally consumed crop into a lucrative export niche within
Uganda’s broader agricultural economy. Drawing on recent market data, production statistics, and qualitative field evidence, we
trace the commodification process of Bugishu Arabica—grown on the nutrient-rich volcanic slopes of Mount Elgon—and show how
deliberate quality upgrading, branding, and certification have enabled smallholder farmers to capture premium prices in global
specialty markets. We demonstrate that Bugishu now commands the highest farm-gate prices among Ugandan origins, reaching
US$8.18 kg⁻¹ in early 2025, and contributes roughly 10 % of national coffee export earnings despite representing only a fraction of
total volume . By unpacking the institutional arrangements, cooperative structures, and transnational value-chain actors that
mediate this transition, the paper reveals how geographic indication, post-harvest innovations, and narrative marketing jointly
transform a historically colonial cash crop into a distinctive, terroir-driven commodity. The findings highlight both the opportunities
and constraints of specialty commodification for rural development: while price premiums and traceability schemes raise household
incomes, risks of market concentration, climate variability, and certification fatigue threaten long-term viability. We conclude by
situating the Bugishu case within wider debates on agrarian transformation, value-chain governance, and the political economy of
quality in the Global South.