Sustainable Coffee Production in Gorongosa National Park

Implementing a sustainable coffee production system to mitigate the effects of deforestation and the pressure of climate change, and to improve rural livelihoods and food security

The agreement for the implementation of the triangular cooperation project, entitled “Sustainable Coffee Production in Gorongosa National Park”, was signed between Camões, I.P., the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), and the Ministry of Land, Environment and Rural Development of the Republic of Mozambique (MITADER), as well as by the implementing entities of the three countries, Parque Nacional da Gorongosa, Mozambique (PNG), Instituto Superior de Agronomia, at the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (ISA/UL) and  Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brasil (UFES), based on the institutional partnership for research work on coffee between Brazil and Portugal, now with the mutual aim of supporting the development of Mozambique. The project was defined jointly, using a locally adapted methodology, enabling effective cooperation between the parties and interaction with the community. 

The main objectives of the project are as follows:

• The creation and implementation of a sustainable coffee production system, namely, through the rational use of water and fertilizer resources, a coffee culture with shading and cultural intercropping (SDG 2 – 2.4);
• Mitigating the effects of deforestation and the pressure of climate change predicted for the current century – analysing the resilience of the plant material (coffee trees) in the context of expected climate change in the region and select elite genotypes best adapted to regional conditions (SDG 2 – 2.4 and SDG 13 – 13.1);
• Promoting agribusiness and increasing the income and food security of rural families (SDG 2 – 2.3);
• Through empowering the different actors (farmers and their associations, technicians, traders, students, researchers and teachers) across the coffee value chain, giving special attention to women, so that they too can contribute to supporting their families (SDG 2 – 2.3 and SDG 5 – 5.a).
• Developing training activities for farmers and technicians, providing access to academic and research studies and promoting the training of local human resources (SDG 2 – 2.3). 
• Promoting the commercialization process, with links to transport, storage and commercialization companies, and the promotion and marketing of the Gorongosa coffee brand in terms of quality, sustainability and the commercial market (SDG 2 – 2.3). 

The Portuguese and Brazilian teams have worked closely with local partners and identified the research and advanced training activities for human resources. These teams have a long tradition of collaboration in coffee production systems, in analysing the behaviour of coffee in the face of constant climate change and in its improvement, supported by a strong component of technical-scientific research, which includes human resources training. 

The accumulated experience of the two teams has allowed for the solid implementation of the Gorongosa Café triangular cooperation project, continuing work already started under the Gorongosa Restoration Project, supported by the Mozambican Government.  

The main results achieved by the end of 2021 were as follows: 

• Through the combination of research, capacity-building and advanced training, it was possible to expand the production system, increasing the cultivated area and the number of coffee plants and native shade trees.  
• The project made a direct contribution to the income of 876 families and created 324 seasonal and 17 permanent jobs. 
• 876 farmers (representatives of 876 families) received training and benefited from extension services in the areas of production, harvesting and post-harvesting techniques. 
• 17 technicians from PNG benefited from various training actions relating to various aspects of the coffee value chain. 
• 2 PhD students and 10 Masters students, whose dissertations cover various aspects of the coffee value chain, have promoted the creation of local critical mass to ensure the sustainable relaunch of coffee growing in Mozambique. 
• Around 17 tons of green coffee were produced for sale. 

One of the expected results of the project is the development of a Good Practices Manual, which is currently being produced and will be presented to the beneficiaries at the end of the project to ensure its sustainability. 

The success of this project is attributable to all the partners who focused on the outcomes. The work methodologies made it possible to reach consensus in terms of planning, project management and the definition of guidelines. Moreover, the nexus between sustainable use of natural resources, preservation of biodiversity and community development guarantees its sustainability.