Following previous stories Nespresso Reviving Origins programme in Uganda the DRC, and Colombia we can also mention the development in Zimbabwe.
Partnering with the NGO, Technoserve, the project aims to restore some of the previous success Zimbabwe had in the 1980’s when it was exporting 15,000 tons of coffee a year to the foreign markets.
Zimbabwe coffee has a quite a fruity and smooth flavour profile that you’d expect from an East African coffee, but after the disastrous plans from former leader Robert Mugabe forced out white farmers to in an attempt to undo colonial disparity, investors and buyers fled the market.
The political action destroyed the industry, and the remaining farmers were forced to sell their quality Arabica for unsustainable prices. Consequently, many farmers abandoned the industry.
Since 2017 however, confidence from the outside world is growing in Zimbabwe under the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangawa. Nespresso stepped in with Technoserve to put in place the necessary training and support to breath some life back into the local industry.
Much like the models we have seen elsewhere, in which crop doctors are deployed (see our explanation of how ECOM makes this work for coffee farmers in Indonesia), Technoserve offer hands-on training in agriculture and best practice methods.
Importantly, Nespresso pay’s in stable U.S. dollars, giving the farmers confidence that their work will pay off. Technoserve reports that their farmers have doubled their income since joining.
Last year, Nespresso had 300 farmers participating in the programme, and reported increased yields as a result of the training and use of fertilizer. Some of the money goes back into improving the crop, while some money is used to improve the living conditions of the farmers, or pay school fees.
