KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE DEVELOPMENT projects Before the civil war, Angola was the fourth largest producer of coffee in the world, exporting over 240,000 tonnes of coffee per year at its peak. The coffee industry provided livelihoods for a large proportion of Angola’s population. so what’s the problem? The war has had a devastating effect on the coffee industry. Many coffee estates were abandoned as people fled their homes for safety and the industry was left in a poor state of decline in the years following the end of civil strife in 2002. As a result, Angola’s coffee production has dropped and the industry is in need of rejuvenation to provide income to its population. what is this project doing? CABI and partners undertook a pilot project in order to evaluate the entire coffee chain from seed to cup. The aim being to resolve the issues constraining the production of coffee in Angola. Displaced farming families were re-settled on previously abandoned land and given basic tools, knowledge and equipment to establish housing and agriculture. rehabilitating coffee plantations location Angola date March 2006 – March 2011 project team George Oduor (CABI) Pascoal Miranda (INCA) Estevao Rodrigues (CLUSA) Isabel Manuel (BPC)
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KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE
development projects
Before the civil war, Angola was the fourth largest producer of coffee in the world, exporting over 240,000 tonnes of coffee per year at its peak. The coffee industry provided livelihoods for a large proportion of Angola’s population.
so what’s the problem?The war has had a devastating effect on the coffee industry. Many coffee estates were abandoned as people fled their homes for safety and the industry was left in a poor state of decline in the years following the end of civil strife in 2002.As a result, Angola’s coffee production has dropped and the industry is in need of rejuvenation to provide income to its population.
what is this project doing?CABI and partners undertook a pilot project in order to evaluate the entire coffee chain from seed to cup. The aim being to resolve the issues constraining the production of coffee in Angola. Displaced farming families were re-settled on previously abandoned land and given basic tools, knowledge and equipment to establish housing and agriculture.
rehabilitating coffee plantations
locationAngola
dateMarch 2006 – March 2011
project teamGeorge Oduor (CABI) Pascoal Miranda (INCA) Estevao Rodrigues (CLUSA)Isabel Manuel (BPC)
The project also assisted farmers in weeding, replanting and fertilizing their land to help them attain yields of up to 800 kg per hectare. Farmers were organized into business associations and cooperatives which allow them to access credit and other services enabling them to better compete in marketing their coffee.
Specifically the project aimed to increase the production, productivity and quality of the coffee. It increased the profitability of production and provided market information and credit facilities to small-scale coffee farmers. It also re-settled displaced families on abandoned coffee estates by sub-dividing them into small family farms and strengthened the institutions involved in the project for future sustainability.
results so farNearly 5,000 previously displaced farmers have been re-settled and given small plots of around 5 hectares to farm. The project also facilitated the acquisition of individual titles deeds for each farmer collaborating in the scheme.
Over 7 million coffee seedlings have now been raised, mainly in the farmers’ own fields. A supplementary nursery at the research station of Angola’s Coffee Institute (INCA) has been set up which serves as an excellent training site for farmers. In addition, scientists and local extension workers were trained, ensuring the best coffee is produced.
The farmers have been organized into 80 associations and 13 cooperatives and have subsequently received individual micro-credit loans of between US$100-500 amounting to over US$1.5 million. Farmers are now starting to pay back these loans as their productivity increases. Lastly, five coffee hullers have also been installed which will help increase productivity further.
The project has improved the coffee production infrastructure including roads, schools, and health centres. We have also boosted private sector participation, ensuring sustainability beyond the lifespan of the project.
With increased crop density and improved growing techniques, it is hoped that the crop yield from the renovated plantations will soon be over 500 kg per hectare. We will also help link the farmers to more traders, ensuring that they get the best price for their coffee.
Results from this pilot project will be extended and replicated in other coffee producing provinces and perhaps also other countries emerging from civil strife, and we are continuing our efforts to improve the micro-credit system.
contactCABI, ICRAF Complex, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, PO Box 633-00621, Nairobi, Kenya T: +254 20 72 24450 F: +254 20 71 22150 E: [email protected] www.cabi.org/africa
www.cabi.org/coffeerehabID
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George Oduor, Project Manager
partners
International Coffee Organization (ICO) Banco de Poupanca e Credito (BPC)
