Uganda
Cocoa is Uganda's fourth-biggest commodity export after coffee, tea and fish. Cocoa production in Uganda has seen a steady increase over the years, increasing from 241 tonnes in 1970 to 35,000 tonnes in 2019 and growing at an average annual rate of 18.11%.
Read on to learn more about the Cross Atlantic Chocolate Collective's Ugandan team members, Emily Drani, Antony Drani, and Solomon Nsereko.
Meet The Team
Solomon Nsereko
I'm Solomon (@thecacaofarmer on Instagram and Twitter) a Market and Social Research Consultant by profession and a Farmer by heritage. I co-own a small East African Consultancy called Research Moguls Ltd or REMO in Uganda (as a brand of Explode 360° an experiential marketing Agency) and in Rwanda. I'm a third generation Cocoa Farmer, which I began focusing on in 2018.
My grandfather, Antonia Kayongo was one of three progressive model farmers selected in 1959 before Uganda's independence to pilot and encourage Cocoa Farming in central Uganda, so this is a piece of my heritage I had neglected. I realise the importance of value addition for cocoa to improve origin farmers and community incomes and livelihoods hence thanks to Gillian Goddard and this tribe of awesome Black people for inviting me to travel this adventure with them.
Antony Kenyatta Drani
My name is Anthony Drani. I am a Ugandan. My family has just established a cocoa plantation and we are interested in making high quality chocolate products available to all Ugandans---not only the elite.
Emily Drani
Emily is the former Executive Director and co-founder of the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda, an organisation dedicated to promoting a ‘culture in development’ approach. She holds a Master of Philosophy in Development Studies with a focus on Endogenous Development. She has 14 years professional experience in cultural heritage development with a focus on cultural rights, cultural heritage research and documentation, capacity building and advocacy at national, regional and international levels.
At international level, Emily served as the Vice Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the International National Trusts Organization, a global umbrella body of National Trusts dedicated to promoting the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage. Emily has also served on the UNESCO Evaluation Body for the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and is a trained UNESCO ICH facilitator. At national level, Emily is a member of four Boards of non-governmental organisations that promote culture and nature conservation, creative arts and industries, women and children’s rights as well as good governance.
