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The Story:
Jane Goodall worked around Gombe National
Park for years trying to understand and protect the native
chimpanzees. The coffee farmers of the Kanyovu Coop in the
Gombe had continually struggled to make ends meet. Their
coffee had great potential, but they did not have the resources
or skills to make it into something that could command a
sustainable price. When it came to the point where the coffee
farmers could not survive by growing coffee, they were going
to have to convert their shade-grown coffee to something
like corn. Growing corn or other grains would require them
to clear their land of vital chimpanzee habitat.
In 2007, Sustainable Harvest, a green coffee
importer, stepped in with a grant from the Lemelson Foundation
to help improve the quality of the coffee from the Kanyovu
Coop. In just one year, they were able to exponentially
increase the quality of their coffee and the price that
they can command. Sustainable Harvest has provided training
to the leaders of the various communities in the best ways
to grow, process and store their coffee. They have also
provided the communities with new wet-processing technology
that is both water and energy efficient. Despite the great
strides that the farmers have made with their coffee, it
would almost be for nothing if they did not have access
to roasters who would buy and showcase their coffee. That
is why Sustainable Harvest has brought in a few roasters,
including PT's, to help introduce this coffee into the US
market.
Fortunately, now that the farmers can make
a sustainable living off of their coffee crops, the chimpanzees
are not in danger of losing their native habitat.
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