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“We’re very inspired by this award,” confides Daniel Habamungu, the cooperative’s CEO. It further strengthens our determination to work together. It’s very important for the collective, because it gives courage and loyalty to the members of the cooperative”.
The award is in recognition of the remarkable work carried out by the Muungano team. In recent years, the cooperative has tripled its membership to 4,100 small family producers, 43% of whom are women. It produces very high value-added coffee in a particularly difficult context: limited infrastructure, transport difficulties, chronic insecurity in the region, and the area’s vulnerability to climate change.
The plantations are located between 1400 and 2600m altitude, and these volcanic highlands offer optimal conditions for growing Arabica coffee. The cooperative is certified fair trade and organic. Coffee growers take advantage of the great plant diversity to use agroforestry methods that combine shade and fruit trees with coffee plants. This naturally fertilizes the soil, reduces the risk of landslides and diversifies members’ sources of income.
SIDI has been a partner of Muungano since 2015. In a sector where other financiers charge high rates and also require property guarantees, SIDI can offer loans at attractive rates, enabling the cooperative to pre-finance coffee campaigns. At the same time, SIDI offers tailor-made support in key areas such as accounting and financial management, performance management and development strategy. Lastly, it supports the promotion of sustainable farming practices, particularly agro-ecology.
Despite the major challenges facing the cooperative, it has been able to resist, progress and supply the gourmet coffee sought after by connoisseur buyers in a niche sector with very high added value. SIDI is very proud to support the dynamism and resilience of the people of Kivu and the members of Muungano.
Well done to the great team at the Muungano agricultural cooperative and to all the coffee growers!
