About the farmers in Tanzania

When Rebecca - our trusted partner - returned to her mother’s land in 2011 and started interviewing farmers in the Kilimanjaro area, she sought to listen to and understand their real needs, struggles, and challenges. In this area, her family had been growing coffee for generations. She understood most farmers struggled to stay afloat after the global coffee price plummeted in the 90s, and Rebecca was seeking ways to help farmers earn more through their coffee. She especially wanted to create long-term benefits for coffee growers by creating a solid network of small, democratic, and independent cooperatives, organisations, and individuals committed to growing the best coffee in the best possible way. Rebeca and her team at Wanza quickly noticed that the community was eager to make a change, so the conversations gradually transformed into a community-led initiative to improve coffee quality and quantity and find buyers willing to pay better prices. For us, it’s a true honour to be part of this initiative, working with the Wanza team and Marangu farmers to create small, solid, and fully democratic organisations in the area!