Clifton Coffee Roasters: Tanzania, Umoja, Mkulima Kwanza AMCOS, Natural

Mkulima Kwanza AMCOS was founded as a collaboration with Communal Shamba LTD which is 100% founded by young Tanzanians.

Harvest is carried out between May and October through selective handpicking of red ripe cherries, followed by further hand-sorting to remove any over or under-ripe cherries. Cherries are then dried slowly on raised African beds for 12 – 14 days.

The cherries are carefully maintained through consistent turning to ensure even drying and to avoid over-fermentation. They are covered at night to protect them from excess rain and moisture. Once the cherries have dried to the optimum moisture content they are sent to Mbozi for hulling, grading by bean size and careful handpicking before being bagged in GrainPro for export from the port and capital city of Dar Es Salaam.

Communal Shamba is a social enterprise that works with several farming groups (known as AMCOS) in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, Mbeya Region, Mbozi District. Most of the farmer groups are part of the Iowa Community.

This year, with our help, Communal Shamba paid the highest price in the region 3,900 TSH/kg parchment, compared to the local price 2,200 TSH/kg. Communal Shamba engage in a number of community projects including rehabilitating the local school, and health projects (including lobbying for additional staff and mobilizing funds for a water storage facility, computers, refrigeration and sterilizing units etc.)