A visit from Malawi

At Central Co-op, co-operation goes far beyond our local communities. Through our Our Malawi Partnership, we’re building strong, meaningful connections with producers and farmers in Malawi - and during Co-op Fortnight, we had the honour of welcoming two very special guests from the Malawi Federation of Co-operatives (MAFECO) to see that work in action.

A warm welcome in Lichfield

At the end of June, we welcomed John Mulangeni-Nkosi, Executive Director of MAFECO, and Jeruzye Munthali (known as Jeru), MAFECO’s Project Manager, to Lichfield - home of our Support Centre. They were joined by Dr Sarah Alldred from the Co-operative College.

After exploring the sights of Lichfield, John and Jeru visited our Support Centre to meet the colleagues who helped launch Our Malawi Partnership in 2022, and the commercial teams who continue to bring Malawian-sourced products to life in our stores.

Seeing the partnership on shelves (and in schools)

The team visited our Boley Park supermarket and Streethay convenience store, where they saw the Our Malawi Partnership products on the shelves, including True Origin Kilombero rice and the UK's first Fairtrade-certified macadamia nut products. They spoke to store colleagues about how these products are helping to improve the lives of Malawian farmers and their families.

One of the highlights of the visit was an assembly at Streethay Primary School, where John and Jeru joined our Member and Community Relations Officer, James Knight and Community and Communications Manager, Paul Reece to talk to students about the power of fair trade and education. The school had previously taken part in the “90kg Rice Challenge”, raising enough money to fund over a year of secondary school for a child in Malawi, all by buying Kilombero rice.

The students were full of smart questions about where the products come from, how it helps families in Malawi, and how fair trade makes a difference. It was an inspiring moment of global learning and connection.

Sharing stories in funeral care

John and Jeru also visited our funeral home in Wednesfield to learn how our colleagues support communities in the UK, and how we’re combining that care with environmental action in Malawi through our Planting Promise.

Since 2022, we’ve committed to planting a tree for every funeral we conduct - nearly 20,000 trees a year. Now, we’re focusing that effort in Malawi, where reforestation helps combat flooding, restore biodiversity and create sustainable income for local communities.

The power of co-operation

Our Malawi Partnership is built on the co-operative principle of working together. It brings together co-op members, colleagues and communities in the UK and Malawi to tackle poverty, promote fair trade and support sustainable development.

Since launching on the 100th International Day of Co-operatives in 2022, the partnership has already achieved so much:

• Increased production of coffee and macadamia nuts 
• Delivered agricultural training to hundreds of farmers 
• Supplied thousands of macadamia seedlings to co-op members 
• Supported women farmers in growing and marketing their crops 
• Founded Malawi’s first tea co-operative union 
• Influenced national policy, securing Cabinet-level endorsement 
• Delivered clean water to over 37,000 people 
• Helped Highland Macadamia Co-op regain Fairtrade certification 
• Introduced the UK’s first Fairtrade-certified macadamia nut product 
• Combined Central Co-op’s Planting Promise, pledging a tree planted in Malawi for every funeral conducted 
• Worked with local communities and WESM to plant trees that restore forests, support wildlife and create sustainable income 

How you can be part of it

Every time you choose an Our Malawi Partnership product in your local Central Co-op shop, you’re helping to create real change - supporting farmers, funding education, planting trees and building a more sustainable future.