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Few
places on Earth have such an array of natural
wonders as the East African country of Tanzania.
With Africa’s largest (Victoria) and deepest (Tanganika)
lakes, towering waterfalls (Kalambo), spectacular
game reserves including the Serengeti and Gombo
Nationals parks, the exotic Spice Islands of
Zanzibar along the coast and snow-capped Mt.
Kilimanjaro. |
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Rising 19,340 feet
above sea level, Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro is
Africa’s highest mountain and one of planet’s most
recognizable and romanticized volcanoes. Each year
about 100,000 tourists, porters and climbers attempt
to attain its summit but less commonly known is that
the mountain is one of the most productive
agricultural areas in Africa. Agriculture accounts
for 80% of the employment in all of Tanzania. Its
rich volcanic soil and favorable climate foster the
growth of about 2,500 species of plants which has
lead to Mt. Kilimanjaro’s designation as a World
Heritage Site and Biosphere reserve. |
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As with most large
mountains, the sheer mass and height of Kilimanjaro
create unique weather patterns in its vicinity,
showering its fertile southern slopes with abundant
rainfall. The slope’s indigenous Chagga farmers are
an industrial and resourceful people who over the
past century have perfected the cultivation of some
of the World’s finest Arabica coffee under lush
canopies of banana trees. |
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Common Good Foods’
coffee is grown by members of the KNCU (Kilimanjaro
Native Cooperative Union), Africa’s oldest coffee
cooperative, established in 1924. The KNCU collects
coffee from 96 village societies, representing over
150,000 small scale local farmers. In addition to
earning a reputation and numerous awards for its
distinctive Kilimanjaro coffee, prized for its body,
acidity and flavor unique to the mountain’s volcanic
soils, the KNCU supports the community through the
following initiatives: |
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Education |
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Members
voluntarily contribute to an education fund that is
used to build and operate schools for farmers'
children. KNCU also provides scholarships for
members' children.
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Productive
Investment |
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The cooperative
founded a Coffee Export Marketing Department in
order to export the majority of their crop directly,
rather than working through intermediaries. KNCU has
renovated cooperative buildings and created a
training program for secretaries in member co-ops. |
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Environment |
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KNCU's farmers do
not apply chemicals, and have invested in an organic
production program to transition to organic
certification. Farmers also receive training on
sustainable agricultural techniques, such as using
local plants for insect and pest control. The co-op
has also purchased fermentation tanks for its
organic producers. KNCU has created training
programs that help members to improve the quality
and increase the yield of their crops. |
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Credit Program |
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KNCU formed the
Kilimanjaro Cooperative Bank (KCB) which enables
members to access loans and a number of other
banking services. |
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Our Kilimanjaro
Sunrise Tanzanian coffee is Fair Trade Certified and
USDA Organic certified. |
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