SOCIAL
PROJECTS

AND ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIES

Drying Tables

Tanzania
2016
Do you want to join and support the Hasambo cooperative in Tanzania in producing better quality coffee? Find out more how you can help building shaded drying tables which will positively impact the quality of the coffee and the cooperatives income.
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Pascal Herzog
Our coffee from Hasambo Cooperative in Tanzania is one of our favourites. Pascal travelled there this season to visit his old home-away-from-home. Besides the «nyama choma», he also had time to check out some of the drying facilities. While discussing with the farmers their processing methods, he realized that their coffee gets dried in only nine days. This is very short and has a negative impact on the final cup profile. While our local exporting company has done a great job last year to renovate Hasambo’s existing drying tables, we decided to start a community project in order to introduce shaded drying tables. The objective is to prolong the drying time for selected lots from roughly 9 days to up to 14 days. In order to make sure that the coop can still process the same volume, our project also includes the extension of the existing drying capacity. Identifying these issues are essential in the long run – the drying stage of coffee production is extremely important as it has a direct effect on the finished product. Finally, such measure allows the coop to specially prepare their better lots and market them separately to specialty roasters.
«The drying stage of coffee production is extremely important.»

The cooperative

In 1993, the original Hasambo AMCOS was established under the Mbozi Cooperative Union (MBOCU). Just over 10 years later, in 2002, the Hasam- bo cooperative withdrew from MBOCU and started to operate independently. TechnoServe helped the group to greatly improve quality and its access to coffee markets.

With the group attracting more and more farmers, they decided last year to install a new coffee pulping unit with a processing capacity of 2.5 MT per hour.

 

Hasambo & us

Taylor Winch – Volcafe’s export operation in Tanzania – started to work with Hasambo in 2011, after the phase-out of the TechnoServe Coffee Initiative Program which had helped the coop gain access to the direct export market. TechnoServe also provided continuous support to the farmers through training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), sustainability, processing practices and quality control; all of which Taylor Winch continues today. Hasambo Coop farmers are eager to learn and are open to new ideas such as shade drying. The result can be clearly detected in the cup.

 

Drying tables

Currently the parchment is dried in around 9 days, as the parchment needs to be rotated to make room for fresh coffee. Ideally the drying time would be stretched out to 14 days, which can be made possible by expanding the existing drying capacity. Shade nets help to control the temperature on the drying tables. New netting will be installed, providing much-needed shade to slow the drying process. Taking these small measures can greatly enhance the cup profile and consistency, adding complexity and uniformity.

 

Implementation

Our local team at Taylor Winch Tanzania will manage and supervise the project on the ground.

 

How to support the project

Simone and Pascal are on hand in Europe to answer any questions and to discuss further involvement.

Get involved! Support the project! CONTACT US

Volcafe Projects


2017
Volcafe’s origin companies implement projects in partnership with roasters and local partners to address needs in coffee producing communities related to health, housing, nutrition, and schooling. Education has been a central focus with schools recently built or renovated in countries including Colombia, Guatemala, Peru and Vietnam. Find out more about the CSR projects of Volcafe.
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Coffee is grown throughout the tropics and plays an important role economically, socially and environmentally in producing countries. Volcafe, the coffee division of ED&FMan, has operations in 15 coffee origins and access to 90% of coffee production regions in the world. Volcafe buys coffee from a large number and range of growers and traders, from individual smallholder farmers to large plantations and traders. Volcafe supplies an equally wide range of customers, from multinationals to small roasters across America, Asia, Australia and Europe. Volcafe’s purchasing, milling and export operations implement strong social and environmental standards to ensure safe and efficient processes and products. The company is part of supply chains that are registered and approved by all major sustainability labelling programs. These include UTZ Certified, Fairtrade Certified, 4C Association, Rainforest Alliance and roaster-driven initiatives. In origins that permit purchasing directly from producers, Volcafe runs Farmer Support Organizations (FSOs). FSOs are local, interdisciplinary teams that deliver direct, year-round support to farmers. This technical assistance focuses on improving productivity, quality, social and environmental standards and overall farm management in ways that benefit producers and producing communities. Volcafe’s origin companies implement projects in partnership with roasters and local partners to address needs in coffee producing communities related to health, housing, nutrition, and schooling. Education has been a central focus with schools recently built or renovated in countries including Colombia, Guatemala, Peru and Vietnam. Charico, the charitable branch of ED&FMan, is an instrumental partner and contributor.