EFICO FOUNDATION PROJECT
KILIMANJARO WATER & FOOD FOR ALL 

PHASE 1  

In 2023, we proudly celebrated 20 years of EFICO Foundation -two decades of meaningful impact supporting coffee farmers, guided by our motto: ‘Coffee for People, People for Coffee’. To mark this milestone, we launched a new EFICO FOUNDATION flagship project, ‘KILIMANJARO WATER & FOOD FOR ALL‘ (KW&F4A).

Co-funded by EFICO/EFICO Foundation and African Partnerships Kilimanjaro and partnered by Herencia Value your Legacy, this Phase supported the water-intake infrastructure in the Weru Weru sub-catchment and promoted reforestation efforts. It represented a key step toward a scalable model for water management that, combined with regenerative agriculture, enhances productivity, secures rural water supply, and supports communities linked to coffee and food production (maize, beans, and other short-cycle crops).

PHASE 2

As the ‘KW&F4A‘ project is scalable and serves as a replicable model for advancing additional cooperative-owned farmlands in Kilimanjaro, together with our partners, we remain committed to expanding this initiative. The project also promotes cultural change and multi-stakeholder engagement, driving the positive transformation of the coffee sector while highlighting values such as conservation, participation, regeneration, prosperity, innovation, and collaboration.

Phase 2 introduced 2 key projects, funded and implemented through public-private partnerships:

PUBLIC COMPONENT
• “Kilimanjaro Climate Smart Agriculture – Water and Food for All“, co-financed by the Flemish Government, is a demonstration project focusing on climate change mitigation and adaptation through water-efficient irrigation on approximately 123 hectares and regenerative agriculture on  440 hectares in Lyamungo and Manushi Narumo farms. The project also supports awareness campaigns and capacity-building initiatives, reaching 3,500 cooperative members.
• “Kilimanjaro Water and Food for All“, co-financed by the Business Partnership Facility (an initiative funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), promotes a sustainable and reliable coffee supply chain from Tanzania to Europe by implementing water-efficient irrigation on 120 hectares of Kyumasha and Fonrwa farms. The project also includes regenerative agriculture, capacity-building sessions, and a strategic sustainable market strategy, benefiting 2,700 cooperative members.

PRIVATE COMPONENT
EFICO and APK co-finance both projects with HerenciaVL serving as a key partner and strategic advisor to ensure maximum project impact.

In early 2025, project implementation began with the support of our partners.

‘KW&F4A’ PROJECT PHASE 2 AT A GLANCE

The ‘Kilimanjaro Water & Food for All‘ project Phase 1 supported the water-intake infrastructure in the Weru Weru sub-catchment and promoted reforestation efforts, laying the foundation for water-efficient irrigation and regenerative agriculture in selected areas.

Phase 2 scales up this approach by expanding water management using low-carbon irrigation systems, while continuing the implementation of regenerative and climate-smart agriculture.

°KILIMANJARO CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE –
WATER AND FOOD FOR ALL 

January 2025 to July 2027:
This project is co-financed by the Flemish Government through the Flanders International Climate Action Programme (FICAP), a funding call coordinated by G-STIC and the department of Environment and Spatial Development. The project runs from January 2025 to July 2027.

Purpose:
Demonstrating a Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) model for water management and regenerative agriculture, the project will implement a low-carbon, gravity-fed irrigation system on 123 hectares of Lyamungo and Manushi Narumo cooperative farmlands managed by APK, alongside a regenerative agriculture plan for 440 hectares, supported by capacity-building sessions, awareness campaigns, and stakeholder collaboration.

➥ The project aims to reduce CO₂ emissions, address climate change impacts, empower women and youth, and improve local livelihoods.

Beneficiaries:
The project directly benefits at least 3,500 cooperative members and local institutions, including schools, health centres, and community farms, and indirectly reaching more than 3,700 community members through improved water access and strengthened resource management.

Location:
Farmlands of Lyamungo and Manushi Narumo Cooperatives at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Project actions and positive pursuits:
✔ The design of low-carbon, gravity-fed irrigation systems for 123 hectares of cooperative land has been completed, providing the basis for efficient and sustainable water use.
✔ Once installed, the new irrigation system is expected to reduce water loss by over 20% and eliminate diesel-powered irrigation, lowering CO₂ emissions by 215.54 metric tons annually for the targeted area.
✔ Demonstration plots will illustrate efficient water use and climate-smart agriculture practices.
✔ In parallel, a regenerative agriculture plan has been developed for 440 hectares -achieving 100% of the target, along with a planned reforestation of 37.4 hectares of riverine buffer zones with over 16,000 native trees.
✔ Capacity-building sessions have benefited 102 participants, with a particular focus on women and youth. Demonstration plots have been identified to provide practical examples for local adoption and learning.
✔ A training manual was developed, translated into Swahili, enabling participants to adopt sustainable practices that enhance resilience, soil health, and productivity.
✔ A stakeholder mapping was conducted to strengthen the multi-stakeholder partnership, including cooperatives, the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TACRI), and the Sustainable Water Management Partnership (SUWAMA), to enhance collaboration and project impact.

➥ These efforts are creating the conditions for a scalable Climate-Smart Agriculture model that promotes food security, reduces CO₂ emissions, and improves livelihoods in the Kilimanjaro region.

This project contributes to the following United Nation Sustainable Development Goals:

°KILIMANJARO WATER AND FOOD FOR ALL 

March 2025 to March 2027:
This project is co-financed by the Business Partnership Facility, an initiative funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

Purpose:
Promoting a sustainable coffee supply chain with origin in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro region, the project implements a low-carbon, gravity-fed irrigation system on 120 hectares of Kyumasha and Fonrwa cooperative farmlands managed by APK, supported by regenerative agriculture practices, capacity-building sessions, and a strategic approach for Belgium and the European markets.

➥ This project aims to enhance coffee productivity and quality, reduce CO₂ emissions, strengthen rural incomes, create employment opportunities, and benefit local communities while supporting a resilient coffee sector.

Beneficiaries:
The project directly benefits 790 APK staff and 2,700 cooperative members by supporting higher incomes and local employment, while the new irrigation system provides surplus water to 177 hectares downstream, indirectly enhancing water access for surrounding communities.

Location:
Farmlands of Kyumasha and Fonrwa Cooperatives at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Project actions and positive pursuits:
✔ The installation of the closed, gravity-fed irrigation system covering 120 hectares in the Lambo and Silverdale (KYUMASHA) AMCOS was successfully completed. The system now supplies stable irrigation to 120 ha of coffee farms, and hydraulic modelling confirms an additional 177 ha of downstream land benefiting from improved flow regularity and water availability.
✔ CO₂ emissions from irrigation decreased from approximately 74.69 t CO₂/year (baseline diesel pumping) to ~0 tCO₂/year, as gravity flow fully replaced fossil-fuel pumping.
✔ Regenerative agriculture practices -including cover cropping, organic amendments, and agroforestry – have enhanced soil fertility and increased crop resilience.
✔ Training delivery reached 148 smallholders (51% women and 95% aged 18–35), representing the first wave toward the project’s 790 target beneficiaries.
✔ A gender-balanced expansion plan is underway to achieve ≥60% women participation by the end of year two, including tailored scheduling, peer women trainers, and on-farm mentoring.
✔ A practical Kiswahili training manual on Regenerative Coffee Farming and Efficient Water Use was developed and distributed to support adoption of sustainable practices.
✔ Risk assessments were conducted, including a Double Materiality Analysis to ensure alignment with EUDR and CSRD.
✔ A robust governance and reporting system was established to ensure compliance. Monitoring and reporting tools and guidelines, along with capacity-building support, have been provided to facilitate effective impact reporting. These resources also guide the incorporation of a gender approach throughout implementation.
✔ Tanzanian “Tumaini” coffee was promoted in European markets, showcasing the partnership, sustainable production, and community development.

This project contributes to the following United Nation Sustainable Development Goals:

LOOKING AHEAD – WHAT’S NEXT ?

We continue to expand the ‘KW&F4A’ project as a scalable, replicable model for advancing additional cooperative-owned farms in Kilimanjaro. At the same time, it fosters cultural change and multi-stakeholder engagement, supporting the transformation of the coffee sector and promoting values such as conservation, participation, regeneration, prosperity, innovation, and collaboration.

We truly value our partners’ support and look forward to continuing this journey.

KILIMANJARO COFFEE 
SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS BUYING COFFEE

We invite you to support this initiative by purchasing coffee produced through this project.
Every cup contributes to the ongoing success of ‘Kilimanjaro Water & Food For All’,  helping to empower smallholders and promote sustainable practices in the region.

COFFEE – TANZANIA  TUMAINI – Kilimanjaro
Rainforest Alliance 

Our Tanzanian flagship coffee is grown in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. In this area, harvest runs form July to October, with August being the peak.

SOURCE:
REGION: Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania
ALTITUDE: between 1,350 – 1,750 masl

OUR CUPPING NOTES:
This fully washed APK coffee has a balanced cup, fine acidity, milk chocolate body with fruity flavours, berry and tobacco notes, bright sweetness and rounded with a smooth finish.

➵ Our team would be more than happy to tell you how you can sponsor or support this great project. Please contact (y)our trader(s) via email or by telephone.

Photo credits : APK and Marc Bader

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