Zimbabwe’s coffee industry, once a major exporter, declined sharply in the early 2000s. Now, it is steadily making a comeback, this time led by smallholder farmers in the Eastern Highlands.
The sector has shifted from large estates to a smallholder model, with a clear focus on high quality Arabica coffee for premium markets. Even with lower volumes, Zimbabwean coffee has held its reputation for distinctive flavour, helping it stay competitive in markets like Europe, where quality counts.
A key issue shaping the sector is the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This requires all coffee exported to the EU to be verified as deforestation-free for land cleared after December 2020. Meeting this standard is essential to keep Zimbabwean coffee in these markets. To support this, and working with the Ministry of Agriculture, our teams have gone out into the field to map out coffee farms, verify land use, and assess deforestation risks and labour compliance.
Reaching growers across difficult terrain, even walking through fog, our teams are making sure that we protect market access and support local livelihoods.
