In the coffee-growing communities of Nambinzo in Mbozi District, Tanzania, farming families have long faced a cycle of low yields and limited income. Coffee harvests in the area average just 251 kilograms per hectare, barely half of the national average.
Unpredictable rains, prolonged droughts, and rising temperatures worsen plant diseases like Coffee Leaf Rust and Coffee Berry Disease. On top of this, cooperatives lacked proper processing and storage facilities. This meant that even when farmers produced coffee, it often sold at lower quality and lower prices.
Families struggled to meet basic needs, with many children missing school as incomes dwindled. This was the reality for Gabriel, a farmer from Masangula Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies.
“I could only afford one meal a day, and sending my children to school regularly was difficult,” Gabriel shared.
Things start to change when Gabriel joined the KOICA Coffee Project in 2019. Supported by the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute, he replaced his old coffee trees with climate-resilient compact varieties and learned new farming techniques such as irrigation, pest control, and planting shade trees.
With these changes, Gabriel expanded his farm from 1,000 to 3,500 trees by 2024.Last year, Gabriel harvested 3.5 tons of coffee cherries, and this year he expects 6 tons, double what he used to produce.
Gabriel shared, “since switching to the compact variety and using climate-smart techniques, my farm is healthier and more productive. Now, I can support my family’s education, medical needs, and daily life.”
Gabriel’s story is part of a wider transformation. The project trained 43 lead farmers, who went on to train 834 cooperative members on climate-smart techniques. More than 350 farmers have already started applying these methods.
The project also developed and shared a seasonal Coffee Agriculture Calendar and distributed over 51,000 coffee seedlings and 3,000 shade trees. Farmers also gained access to fertilizers and pesticides through a revolving fund, making sure inputs are available year after year.
A water reservoir is also being built to irrigate 128 acres of farms, which will benefit more than 1,020 households.
Building on this success, the project entered a new phase in 2024, running through 2026, and is now working with three cooperatives in Mbozi District.
Together with local authorities and agricultural institutions, the focus is on two goals: helping farmers boost productivity through climate-smart practices and strengthening the market competitiveness of coffee producer associations.
For farmers like Gabriel, this next phase means farming is no longer just about survival. It is about growth, resilience, and dignity.
Good Neighbors believes that with the right support, we can empower people and transform communities to build a stronger future, even in the face of climate change.
Good Neighbors is an international humanitarian and development organization founded in 1991, working in over 50 countries to make the world a place without hunger and where people live in harmony. Engaging with over 200 communities globally, we empower people and transform communities through social and economic development initiatives. Good Neighbors has General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 1996.
For further information, please contact Good Neighbors Global Partnership Center.
Good Neighbors is a global NGO dedicated to improving the lives of children and communities in over 50 countries.
Good Neighbors has held a General Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1996.
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