THE MWANYI PROJECT
Caffè Borbone and OFI together to create a more inclusive coffee supply chain for women and young people in Uganda
Caffè Borbone, a reference brand in the roasting and portioned coffee business, e OFI (Olam Food Ingredients), a world leader in the natural food and beverage ingredients and solutions sector and one of the main global suppliers of green coffee, have launched MWANYI, a five-year project that aims to develop the skills and promote entrepreneurial projects of women and young people working in the coffee production chain in Uganda.
Mwanyi Women and Youth Project – Mwanyi means coffee in the local Ugandan language - is a project launched in 2022 that aims to increase the number of young people and women involved in sustainable coffee production in Uganda by 2027, with a consequent increase in female and youth employment. The initiative consists of specific training activities aimed at the population between 23 and 59 years old, designed to offer communities in the Ibanda and Bushenyi districts, in south-west Uganda, an opportunity for fair and transparent access to training and to fight the precariousness and rural exodus that afflict these areas.
Among the main courses, those of basic agronomic skills and financial literacy with access to microcredit to guarantee better product quality and improve the profitability of farms, precious incentives to push the expansion of small local producers.
“Caffè Borbone operates in favour of the complete sustainability of all processes, which means that we also take care of those at the beginning of the coffee supply chain who work to improve the yield and quality of the crops. With MWANYI we are entering a difficult and highly fragmented coffee production context, but in a key country for the production of Robusta with incredible potential in terms of resources. Ours is a long-term commitment in a territory that currently does not have a certified coffee supply chain, an objective that can only be achieved through the cultural and financial emancipation of local producers", declared Marco Schiavon, CEO of Caffè Borbone.
In addition to the general objective of developing a project of great value for the local community, the MWANYI project lays the foundations for more systematic cultivation, which would also improve its long-term profitability.
"OFI's agricultural experts in Uganda work directly with thousands of farmers through sustainability programmes that help improve the incomes and economic opportunities of farming communities. These deep-rooted relationships, combined with our local processing capabilities, allow us to offer our customers high-quality, traceable beans that also benefit the communities they come from" declared Alessandro Mazzocco, General Manager – Coffee of OFI. “The agents purchase directly from small local producers, guaranteeing a direct and controlled supply chain, which is also respectful of the growers”.
By the end of the year, the project will establish training courses focusing on basic agricultural skills and train young people to start their own agricultural businesses. In terms of financial training, the programme includes the opening of bank accounts for farmers, along with continued support from VSLAs to give all farmers access to basic financial services.
The project also involves the registration of new nurseries with the Uganda Coffee Development Authority and the inclusion of growers from the new areas of Bushenyi in the circuit of producers that supplies OFI.
More information on the project is available at
www.ofi.com
