Mzuzu Coffee
You can support smallhoder coffee farmers in Malawi simply by choosing from the Our Malawi Partnership range of products in Central Co-op Stores.
As part of the UN Year of Co-operatives and following this month's International Coffee Day celebration, we're placing a spotight on Mzuzu Coffee Planters Co-operative Union, a key Our Malawi Partnership partner.
International Coffee Day is a global celebration held every year on October 1, honoring one of the world’s most beloved beverages—and the people behind every cup. From farmers and roasters to baristas and everyday coffee lovers, this day highlights the journey of coffee from bean to brew. More than just a morning ritual, coffee is a cultural connector, a community builder, and an economic lifeline for millions across the globe.
Empowering Malawi’s Coffee Farmers: The Story of Mzuzu Coffee Planters Co-operative Union
In the lush, mountainous regions of Northern and Central Malawi, a remarkable story of collaboration, resilience, and empowerment has been brewing for decades.
The Mzuzu Coffee Planters Co-operative Union (MZCPCU) is not just a coffee producer—it is a democratic movement of smallholder farmers committed to improving lives and cultivating excellence.
Formed in 2007, the Union grew out of Malawi’s long coffee heritage that began in the 1930s. Today, Mzuzu Coffee represents over 3,000 smallholder farmers—25% of them women—across six primary co-operatives: Misuku Hills, Phoka Hills, Viphya Hills, Nkhata Bay Highlands, South East Mzimba, and Ntchisi East. These highland regions, with elevations between 1,000 and 2,000 meters, provide the ideal environment for slow-maturing, flavour-rich coffee beans.
Mzuzu Coffee’s mission is clear: to ensure every smallholder coffee farmer enjoys decent housing, food security, education for their children, and a dignified standard of living. Their vision extends beyond coffee—it’s about building self-sustaining farmer organisations that create opportunities for generations to come.
With a focus on quality, sustainability, and social responsibility, Mzuzu Coffee has become a leading name in Malawi’s specialty coffee scene, exporting premium, fully washed beans to discerning markets in the UK, USA, Europe, and Asia. Every cup represents not just a great coffee, but a story of dignity, community, and empowerment.
Mzuzu Coffee Planters Co-operative Union provides coffee to Revover Coffee Co-operative who are one of the original suppliers to Our Malawi Partnership.
You can support smallhoder farmers in Malawi simply by choosing from the Our Malawi Partnership range of products in Central Co-op Stores.