Africa

African coffee is brewed and celebrated worldwide for its rich and unique flavors. Our extensive sourcing network reaches smallholder farmers in Congo, Ivory Coast and Uganda, as well as estates in Tanzania and Zambia. Managed by our teams of expert agronomists and sustainability professionals, these farms supply specialty customers internationally with sustainably grown, traceable coffees.

Female farm workers ploughing crop field

Democratic Republic of Congo

Both arabica and robusta are traditional export crops for DRC and now specialty production is bringing new investment, interest and hope to the Kivu provinces – the main growing region. As the country’s largest coffee buyer and exporter, we offer high-quality fully washed coffee, alongside specialty honeys and naturals, and organic cascara, produced at our seven washing stations. A stronger focus on quality also rewards the farmers with higher premiums.

Smiling farm worker picking red coffee beans in the Republic of Congo

Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast is an important producer of full-bodied robusta. ofi has grown to become the country’s largest green coffee buyer and 4C certified exporter, benefitting the livelihoods of around 90,000 smallholders each year. Our state-of-the-art dry mill in Abidjan is equipped with modern machinery geared towards producing superior quality beans and customized grades for buyers.

Close up shot of red coffee beans on tree branch

Tanzania

This 2,000-hectare certified green arabica coffee estate is located in the mountainous Songea Rural District of Southern Tanzania along the Ruvuma River. Certified by Rainforest Alliance/UTZ and 4C, the estate employs many people from the local community and has invested in social infrastructure. We are proud to be the first business in Africa to have a site achieve the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard.

Uganda

Considered the birthplace of robusta, Uganda is home to what is thought to be one of the rarest examples of naturally occurring coffee trees anywhere in the world. Over a third of the country’s population depend on coffee to make a living, making it a product of vital economic and social significance. Our Sironko processing mill produces specialty grade, fully washed arabicas, sourced from the farmers spread across the high slopes of Mt Elgon.

Pile of red coffee beans with sky background

Zambia

The Rainforest Alliance/UTZ certified arabica estates are located in the stunning Mafinga Hills of Zambia’s Northern Province, favored for its microclimate, rich volcanic soil and rainfall. As well as improving production facilities and processes with an emphasis on quality, we’re investing in the communities beyond the estates to improve access to education and healthcare, and support smallholder farmers.

Female farm worker driving a tractor filled with red coffee beans

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Articles Dec 5, 2024

Partnerships for more inclusive coffee communities

Promoting gender equality and inclusion has always been a core component of ofi’s sustainability programs to help women and other underrepresented groups realize their potential. Our approach is centred around identifying opportunities for better inclusion of women and youth in farming communities and providing tailored support designed to build confidence, motivation and financial autonomy.

This is why, as part of our Coffee LENS ambition we’ve set dedicated targets to deliver livelihood support to 60,000 women and 15,000 youth by 2030. Our origin teams are running impactful partnerships with our customers to create positive change in coffee communities and deliver our mutual goals.

Articles Dec 5, 2024

A living landscape partnership promoting sustainable forest management in Côte d’Ivoire

The Cavally region in Côte d’Ivoire, one of the country’s main forested areas and home to protected areas such as the Taï National Park (UNESCO), has lost more than 80% of its forest cover in the last decades which has been mainly attributed to coffee and cocoa production. In January 2023, ofi launched a three-year ‘Sustainable Forest Management’ program with IDH and customer JDE Peets, to conserve forest resources and promote sustainable coffee production in the region, referred to as the “ecological lung of Côte d’Ivoire” by the 4th vice-president of the Cavally Regional Council. At a time when coffee production is reviving in the region in response to higher global prices, the partnership is working to reduce pressure on the Taï National Park and Cavally nature reserve while improving incomes in the surrounding communities.

“At JDE Peet’s, we are committed to fostering a sustainable future for coffee by embracing origin diversity and strengthening our footprint in Africa. This project in the Cavally region is a significant step towards protecting vital ecosystems like the Taï National Park while promoting sustainable coffee production. By working together with our partners, we aim to create an environment where both nature and communities can thrive for generations to come.” - Judith de Boer, Global Green Coffee Partnership Program Lead, JDE Peet’s

The partnership is focused on sustainable agricultural production and social inclusion and in its first year delivered:

25,000 shade trees to mark farm boundaries, reforestation and creation of agroforestry systems.
Training to ~3,400 farmers on good agricultural practices integrated farm management, water protection, ecosystem conservation, and forest protection through 18 ‘trained trainers’
52 forest stewards from trained youths to contribute to the protection and preservation of the classified forest through patrols
Entrepreneurial opportunities for 750 women through establishing 20 Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) and training on creating biochar from cherry husks for additional income and firewood replacement
950,000 coffee saplings distributed to 2,800 farmers to contribute to the renewal of aging coffee farms.

“The main objective of the project is to ensure that the revival of coffee production in the Cavally region does not come at the expense of the forest cover and sustainable development, as it happened in the past. We are particularly delighted that this resonates with a partner like ofi ” - Matthew Spencer, IDH Global Director, Landscapes

This project is contributing to ofi’s overarching target to establish 20 living landscape partnerships across our global supply chains by 2030, with 6 of these established in coffee supply chains, as set out in our Coffee LENS strategy.

Articles Dec 5, 2024

Innovating to create a more circular coffee economy

With sustainability experts embedded in farming communities and our ingredients capabilities, the opportunities for innovation are everywhere. For example, in Mexico, we are experimenting with extended fermentation to elevate the cup quality of washed Arabicas, while our field teams are training farmers on Climate-Smart Agriculture and wastewater management to drive down emissions as part of the Alliance for Sustainable Landscapes and Markets. – Siva Subramanian, Head of Innovation, Coffee, ofi