The Korongo coffee project, named after the Swahili word for flamingo, is based in Tanzania’s Southern Highlands, covering the regions of Mbozi, Mbeya, and Mbinga.

Most of the farmers are smallholders with plots ranging from 0.5 to 3 hectares, who grow coffee alongside other crops like corn, beans, and sunflowers.

Coffee has been a crucial part of Tanzanian culture and economy since the 16th century, now contributing 5% of the country's export revenue and employing around 2.4 million people.

The supply chain is complex due to the remote locations of the farmers, often at high altitudes, far from the main export ports in Dar es Salaam and Tanga.

The Coffee
The cherries are hand-harvest- ed by farmers who then process them on their own farms, leading to some variation in methods. Typically, the cherries are pulped using either an eco-pulper or a standard pulper, followed by fermentation. After fermentation, the coffee beans, now in parchment, are dried on raised beds for 14 to 20 days.

Once dried, the parchment is stored in cooperative warehouses for 2 to 3 months. After this resting period, it is transferred to mills in the Mbozi or Mbinga districts in Southern Tanzania, where it is prepared for export.

Tanzanian coffee is graded by bean size, with AB beans falling between 6 and 7 millimeters in size, ensuring a consistent quality that is prized in the market.