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CTCS farmer handling fresh red cherry arrivals are taken, thereby exacerbating the ef- fects of climate change, and threaten- ing the future of coffee production. Nurturing nature and women empowerment The name Kijani Hai originates from a Swahili phrase which translates into English as “Living Green.” “As a coffee grower, your environment is your busi- ness – that’s not up for debate. We like to think of ourselves as eco warriors in suits,” says Alexander Wield, Coffee Trader at the CTCS Group. Deforestation in Tanzania is due to a number of factors including agricul- tural practices and increased demand for fuelwood and timber supply. “The amount of trees being cut down at such an alarmingly high rate in Tanza- nia heavily impacts the environment Parchment drying in Mbeya Green coffee arabica beans which in turn affects our farmers and their livelihoods,” Wield states. One of the best natural defences against climate change is forests, due to their ability to store large quanti- ties of carbon dioxide. “To counter the deforestation, last year we planted 23,000 avocado, macadamia and cof- fee trees in Mbinga,” Wield mentions. “We also set up a bee keeping course in Iringa for our farmers; four out of ten of the hives have populated so far. This will serve as another source of in- come from the same plot of land. It’s all about ensuring diversity of income for our farmers because when the farmer is protected, the environment is protected: the two go hand in hand. That is how we maintain our green ex- port, by taking care of our farmers.” Kijani Hai is also committed to im- proving women’s role in coffee pro- cessing. “We work with Lupembe Ma- mas – part of our Kibanga co-operative – where we promote the women’s cof- fee separately to develop a premium for their coffee,” Wield adds. A trusted partner In line with Kijani Hai’s aim to miti- gate the effects of deforestation, Büh- ler maintains a commitment to boost climate protection with its ongoing roll-out of innovative, energy-efficient solutions. The company’s goal to re- duce the waste, water consumption and energy used in its customers’ food production by 50% hugely appealed to the coffee co-op when seeking out a technological partner. “In the past my team and I have operated both the SORTEX A and B and (Source: Bühler) (Source: Bühler) (Source: Bühler) www.ameft.com AMEFT 3 2021 23 FOCUCSOBVEEVRERSATOGREYS