African Coffee Connect: connect with extraordinary African coffee farmers.
Every coffee tells a story
We are an inclusive transformational coffee business, offering unprecedented opportunities to build mutually rewarding long term partnerships across the whole value chain.
Our vision
Our vision is to build a network of high performing small holder cooperatives strengthening the reputation of African coffee through:
Consistent delivery of high-quality coffees
Strong governance and professional management
Transforming livelihoods of farmers and their communities
Shared core values
Commitment to transparency and accountability
Good communication
Inclusion of women and youth at all levels
Muungano cooperative, Chebumba washing station - Photo by Sighted Design
Our objectives
To boost quality, quantity and price of small holder cooperative produced coffee
To build strong long-term relationships with buyers
To harness opportunities to promote socially and environmentally sustainable coffee production
To tell the extraordinary stories behind small holder cooperative produced coffees
To make cooperatives’ coffee visible in the market and equip the cooperatives to understand and meet changing market demand
Muungano cooperative, Nyabirehe washing station - Photo by Sighted Design
The need for African Coffee Connect
The coffee market is becoming ever more vertically integrated. Most of the world’s coffee is exported by subsidiaries of parent companies based in consuming countries in Europe, America or Japan. These trading companies are also represented in most coffee markets where they sell to roasters.
These multinational enterprises therefore have immediate access to market intelligence and best proximity to roasters.
Cooperatives, limited to their own region and country, do not have this reach or access. In most cases their experience of and exposure to the consumer coffee market is very limited.
Muungano cooperative, Lake Kivu from Nyabirehe washing station - Photo by Sighted Design
African Coffee Connect sets out to fill this gap. We are based in the market. Our team understand and follow market developments and are in continual close contact with importers and roasters.
African Coffee Connect seeks to be a bridge builder between producers and buyers. We understand the context, requirements, culture and language of producer and buyer and are perfectly placed to nurture direct commercial interactions.
African Coffee Connect builds on Richard Hide’s 30 years of experience in accompanying small-holder cooperatives to establish their coffees in rewarding consumer markets.
The concept and approach were developed, and the value demonstrated, through Twin’s Joint Marketing Initiative which Richard led for ten years from 2008 to 2018.
CAT KIVU Tujenge cooperative, coffee sorting - Photo by Glody Murhabazi
African Coffee Connect helps to develop wider technical support programmes that contribute to building the capacity of farmer co-operatives to boost production, add value, and enhance the livelihood of farmers and their communities. We then ensure that these add value through the sales of the coffee and are thus sustainable in the longer term beyond the life of the projects that finance them.
These wider programmes include:
Good agricultural practices
Post-harvest processing
Quality control and quality evaluation
Certifications
Inclusion of women and youth
Business management
Governance
Access to finance
CAPCKI cooperative, coffee plantation - Photo by Sighted Design
Majirane cooperative, members of Buchiro washing station