Our impact in Malawi

We don't just buy coffee from farmers - we are doing long-term relationships with them since 2022. This means that we provide economic security through continuous purchase of their harvest and proper pre-financing of at least 30%. If infrastructure such as a new engine for the washing station is needed, we finance it without any complications. In addition, we work together with Humission e.V. on a wide range of topics such as quality management, agroforestry, and agricultural training.

Continuous improvement of coffee is essential in today's world in order to showcase the potential of coffee from Malawi and, at the same time, enable farmers to achieve a price that is independent of the global commodity market price. That is why we have been working with farmers since 2023 on dry processed coffees as an alternative to washed processing (see our Mbuni ;-)). We also provide detailed feedback on processing methods and monitor quality throughout the harvest to identify problems early on and take swift corrective action. In the end, it's not just you who enjoys a good cup of coffee, but the farmers too. Because high-quality coffee means a better price than normal coffee.

The adaptation of the Nkonthwa region to climate change is a matter close to our hearts. Our farmers' cultivation areas are located at around 1,400 meters above sea level, where the effects of climate change are already clearly noticeable. Young coffee plants burn in the strong sun, older bushes suffer from heat stress and bear fewer cherries.

To counteract this, we grow tree seedlings every year in our “nursery,” a breeding station for young coffee plants. There, we raise the plants under optimal conditions until they are strong enough to be transplanted into the field. This allows farmers to plant shade trees between their coffee plants, which provide protection from the heat and increase the plants' resistance to the climate.

But there is another advantage: coffee that grows in the shade ripens more slowly, developing a more complex aroma. In this way, we not only improve the resilience of the plants, but also the quality of the coffee. Thanks to the nursery, the success rates for cultivation are increasing significantly, which means higher yields for farmers in the long term.

We come from Humission and are still closely connected today. That's why we are all the more delighted that, with the help of Frank Mwandira, a project manager at Humission in Malawi, we can introduce farmers to the biofertilizer Terra Preta.

Frank regularly trains farmers to produce biochar from their crop residues using Humission's pyrolysis systems. When biochar is mixed with animal manure and compost, it creates an unbeatable biofertilizer that binds nutrients in the soil for the long term and makes coffee plants healthier. After all, when it comes to coffee, as with any other agricultural product, the healthier the plant, the better the taste.