Beans are one of the most traded commodities in many African countries. And like all trade, bean markets are driven by demand and supply forces. Farmers can’t sell their produce if they don’t know what buyers want or if no-one knows, or wants, what they have.

Many are not linked to markets for a variety of reasons, such as remoteness, low production, low farm-gate prices, poorly organized markets, and lack of information and marketing know-how. For farmers to increase their incomes, they must have access to sustainable markets.

A number of bean corridors have been identified across the continent, where those who produce a surplus of beans trade with those that have been deficits, meeting their shortfalls. These trade flows include movements from countries such as Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda to others such as Kenya, South Sudan and South Africa.

Ugandan bean consumption is set to reach 615,000 metric tons by 2026, a 1% decrease from 2021's 653,000 metric tons. Since 2017, Ugandan demand for beans has grown by 0.2% each year. In 2021, the country was ranked number 6 in bean consumption, with Tanzania coming in at number 5 with 653,000 metric tons. Brazil, Mexico, and the United States were the top three consuming countries, respectively