News in brief:
– The UN’s IFAD has partnered with Japan to improve coffee production in Tanzania.
– This partnership aims to increase coffee yields and quality while supporting small-scale producers through training and investment.
The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has announced a partnership with Japan to boost coffee production in Tanzania.
According to a statement by the organisation, it is collaborating with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), UCC Ueshima Coffee Co., Ltd. (UCC), and Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni).
They are targeting small-scale coffee producers in the East African nation with a pilot sustainability project. This move is part of the Enhanced Linkages between Private Sector and Small-scale Producers (ELPS) initiative that Japan is spearheading under its G7 leadership.
The ELPS is focused on improving direct collaborations between large corporations in the Global North, who are major buyers, and small-scale producers in the Global South.
IFAD will employ its existing networks of rural communities and farmers to ensure the connection reaches the key players.
Gérardine Mukeshimana, IFAD Vice-President, stated that the private sector plays a crucial role in bringing about innovation and financing to agri-food systems. She expects Tanzanian coffee producers to see improvements in their livelihoods when they gain access to international markets.
Meanwhile, Fumihiko Asada, Representative Director-President of UCC, mentioned that his country has been focused on Tanzania because they believe they can increase its coffee production and improve the quality. In return, the East Asian country wants to secure a stable supply of coffee beans as global demand rises.
While UCC, a private business that manufactures coffee and tea products in Japan, has its own farms, it has built specialised departments to support production in other areas.
The Executive Officer of Marubeni, Hidefumi Oya, praised partnerships with public sector actors like the government and the UN as a means to solving social problems with a business approach. Marubeni is a trading company that deals in a wide range of products, including coffee and tea.
Bowa Sijali, a Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) representative, added that common challenges that producers face, such as pests, diseases, and lack of fertilisers, may not be solvable by government efforts alone. However, a joint effort by the public and private sector can offer workable solutions.
Approximately $460,000 will be provided through nine farmers’ organisations for training on nurseries, agroecological farming practices, compost production, and post-harvest processes.
As Tanzania’s biggest buyer of coffee beans, this initiative could help it secure a consistent supply for a long time.
The ELPS projects will also continue in other nations as Japan continues to ensure that the private sector participates in improving agri-food systems. The country’s agriculture ministry has provided about $3 million to IFAD since 2023 under this initiative.
