We interrupt our regular programming to bring you some news on important work we’re doing with the Long Miles Coffee Project (LMCP) to raise money to reforest the Kibira Rainforest.
We have partnered with the Ben and Kristy Carlson, co-founders of the LMCP, and their team for five years now. We continue to do so not just because of the exquisite coffee they have been able to consistently produce, but because of their ability to affect change in Burundi. Through a number of unique initiatives, farmer’s have successfully been encouraged to pick higher quality coffee cherry and educated on how to better maintain healthy farms. Their commitment to Burundi and it’s farmers is nothing short of ruthless, as they have pushed pass a multitude of seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their time developing LMCP. We are proud to work with them.
Trees for Kibira is an innovative social impact program promoting environmental sustainability, farm profitability, soil quality and biodiversity in Burundi, East Africa.
The Kibira Rainforest bisects the Kayanza and Muramvya Provinces in Burundi. This region is extremely hilly, densely populated and intensely farmed. The soils have become highly acidic and the soil has greatly eroded. Burundi as a whole is plagued by high levels of poverty and food insecurity. Coffee and tea farming are the most important economic activities and thus high quality soil and environmental preservation are imperative.
Trees for Kibira aims to reforest the rainforest with leguminous, nitrogen-fixing trees to enhance soil quality as well as native tree species in and around Kibira. Planting trees along contour lines will also combat slope erosion. By combining agroforestry, planting trees on farms, erosion control, soil improvement with reforestation, and planting native trees on marginal lands around the rainforest Burundi will be better able to cultivate high quality shade-grown coffee.
As of the beginning of this year, 23,500 trees have been planted and the area around the Ruvubui River has been reforested with native trees. Large areas of steeply-sloping farmland have been put in place to protect against the erosion of ten hills. Partnerships with Kayanza Province and the National Forest Service have helped to scale development.
Currently 10% of every LMCP coffee sale is donated to the Trees fo Kibira initiative. Furthermore, Coffee Labs Roasters is matching all funds raised through our own sales of LMCP Coffees.
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