In 2006, a committee of 10 village-based societies met and decided to form a new, smaller union, known as the Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative Union Ltd (ACPCU), after the collapse of a former Coffee Union. By organising themselves this way, the societies could assume the role the agency played, create local jobs, and develop skills in their community. Ankole has partnered with Cafe Direct since 2001 with 4,465 smallholder coffee growers, located in the Bushenyi district in South West Uganda.