Tanzania, Mbozi

Sustainable coffee from Mbeja Rural

Quickfacts

Key Results
Project Name	Sustainable production and processing coupled with income diversification in Mbeja rural, Mbozi District
Project Description	Increase farm income through sustainable coffee farming and promotion of other promising crops
Beneficiaries	1000
- Competitiveness	Through farmers organisations farmers are able to effectively and efficiently market their coffee, the project has directly linked beneficiaries to overseas markets enabling them to make use of the 2nd window option
- Living Conditions	Higher income from coffee sales has assisted farmers in investing in improved housing, better nutrition and better access to health care. The project also assisted in renovating four local primary schools and provided desks for the pupils.
- Environmental Conditions	Implementation of sustainable agricultural practices such as planting of shade trees, soil erosion measures and mulching have been successful.
Project Duration	May 2006 - April 2009
International Partners	International Coffee Partners (ICP), MS Tanzania/Danish Association for Int. Cooperation, United Nations Development Program/ Growing Sustainable Business (UNDP/GSB), City Coffee Ltd.
Local Partners	Mviwata - Tanzanian Farmer Network

Results

For more than 1,700 farmers and their families in Mbozi life is so much better these days. Where there used to be distrust and selfishness, the farmers now work together in democratic self-managed units. With their newly acquired organisational skills they are able to sell their coffee in larger volumes, independent of middlemen and their low payment.

With the assistance of the project, 52 Producer Organisations and seven secondary structures (Depot Committees) were established. All groups are implementing sustainable agricultural practices, improved their coffee quality and increased their yield by sometimes up to 100%. Many of the beneficiaries now enjoy better living conditions, with improvements in the areas of nutrition, housing and access to health care.

In addition, one of the ICP shareholders, Loefbergs Lila made a donation towards the renovation of four primary schools. With the help of the project, the schools were renovated and equipped with 100 new desks. The schools were previously in very poor condition, with broken roofs, very few desks and overcrowded classrooms. Besides this micro-project, a number of other social conditions have improved through better cropping practices, increased production, higher prices for better quality and in turn higher income.

Challenge

Farmers in Tanzania are often very poor and live in conditions hardly imaginable. They call tiny mud huts home and some die of sicknesses like diarrhoea simply due to low hygiene standards.

Actions Taken

The project helped many farmers to gain access to credit and trained them in improved and sustainable production, as well as processing and marketing practices. They were supported in becoming organised and developing enhanced managerial capacities.