Zimbabwean coffee was once highly regarded for its quality, a prince among East African coffees. In the late 1980s, Zimbabwean coffee farmers produced over 15,000 tonnes of coffee a year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, placing it firmly among the top global coffee producers.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, however, the industry has almost disappeared, following a long period of political and economic instability and the seizure of farms, with production volumes down to 430 tonnes in 2017 after a year of particularly volatile prices and high production costs.
This could change. Last year, Nespresso bought up approximately 20 tons (95%) of Zimbabwe’s highest quality coffee. This month the Swiss company will introduce a limited edition of a high-quality Arabica coffee, TAMUKA mu Zimbabwe, grown by the local coffee farming community in Manicaland Province, Eastern Zimbabwe.
The Swiss coffee company has invested in 450 local smallholdings in partnership with the non-profit TechnoServe, bringing in seven agronomists to help train farmers in sustainable farming and skills such as coffee processing and tree management- Source: Forbes
