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The project works with the Hezya Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS) in the Mbozi region of Tanzania. AMCOS manage 95% of the country’s coffee production, and smallholders must be registered to an AMCOS to qualify for support in production, processing, storage, transport, marketing, and government aid. Without membership, their raw green coffee would have no way of reaching the global market.
The Hezya AMCOS that produced this lot is made up of nearly 300 smallholders with <1 hectare farms at altitudes ranging from 1590 to 1670masl. Their annual production volume is 64 metric tons, and they mainly focus on growing Bourbon, N39, Kent, and other local varieties.
In addition to agricultural training, the producers who are part of the Usawa Kahawa Project are also trained on the importance of gender equity within the family for coffee production and distribution of finances. Much of the training is led by gender champions who live within the AMCOS communities. Within the Hezya AMCOS, gender champions initiated the Shamba Darasa Model Farm to showcase better agricultural practices and lead by example.
