Agrotur Lda (Chimanimani)

🇲🇿 Mozambique

Page updated: @November 22, 2024

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Contents
Location
History
Syntrophic Farming
Community and Environmental Impact
Marketing Assets
Producer Updates

Website	https://www.agrotur.co.mz/cafe/
Instagram	https://www.instagram.com/cafechimanimani/?hl=en

Founded in 2020, Agrotur partners with smallholder farmers to promote regenerative agricultural methods, emphasizing the integration of coffee cultivation with native forest species and other crops, to create a more sustainable and diversified farming system. The initiative aims to improve the livelihoods of rural communities by offering technical support, fair trade prices, and access to international markets.

Location

History

Agrotur's journey started in 2020 with coffee cultivation. Local farmers had independently planted coffee seeds sourced from Zimbabwe but faced challenges in accessing markets, often traveling to neighbouring countries to sell their produce. Agrotur's partnership provided these farmers with a stable market for their produce, reducing the need for cross-border travel and offering technical support to improve yields and farming practices. Over time, Agrotur's network of smallholder farmers has expanded, fostering a community dedicated to sustainable growth and environmental stewardship.

Syntrophic Farming

Agrotur employs Syntrophic farming, a regenerative agricultural technique that mimics natural forest ecosystems. Farmers interplant coffee with native trees, fruit crops, and green fertilizers, creating a sustainable and diverse landscape. This method reduces reliance on agrochemicals, with the long-term goal of transitioning to 100% organic production.

This method not only improves soil health and biodiversity but also results in higher coffee quality and environmental sustainability.

Community and Environmental Impact

Agrotur’s work has had a significant positive impact on local communities. The organisation currently supports over 400 farming families in the Chimanimani region. Each farmer is encouraged to cultivate at least one hectare of land, with Agrotur providing seedlings, technical support, and guidance on sustainable practices. In return, farmers commit to caring for the land and adhering to Agrotur’s standards for quality production.

Under Portuguese colonial rule, Mozambique's lands were heavily used for intensive potato farming and livestock rearing, leaving the soil exhausted of nutrients and struggling to recover.

Agrotur launched an experimental project in 2022 to rehabilitate 30 hectares of this barren land in Chimanimani, where for the last 45 years, not even grass could grow. This area is now home to coffee trees, native species, and food crops. Inspired by this success, local farmers have adopted similar practices to reclaim more degraded land.