Gumutindo, which means "excellent quality" in the local Lugisu language, began in 1998 as a joint project between Bugisu Co-operative Union (BCU), a union of 250 primary or village co-operative societies, and Twin Trading, a UK alternative trading organisation that sources Fairtrade coffee for partners such as Cafédirect. The project initially comprised four primary cooperative society members from BCU. Its long-term aim is to enable members to provide a reliable supply of the highest quality coffee in order to command better prices. A knock-on effect will be to improve the reputation of Ugandan arabica coffee on the world market which has been damaged as a result of liberalisation of the coffee sector.