WAFI Coffee

The West African Farmer’s Initiative, or WAFI Coffee, is a project to improve the livelihoods of coffee and cocoa farmers in West Africa. The project will pilot a new model for delivering training to 30 farming households in Liberia and other parts of West Africa. Farmers in these countries will receive training on best agricultural practices for producing world-class coffee and cocoa. WAFI will support initiatives to boost crop quality and develop a link to direct crops to consumers.

In the current market structure, farmers are left with little to no profit from their crops. According to FairTrade, producers typically retain around one percent of the retail coffee price. For a $4 cup of coffee, $0.04 per cup goes to farmers and producers. This year, WAFI is taking a different approach. We decided to open a Mobile cart that would serve coffee and cocoa from our farms directly to customers in major cities like Los Angeles and New York. This will give our farmers direct access to a lion's share of the proceeds, ultimately benefiting both their households and their farms.

I can speak for my fellow farmers when I say that we are so excited to embark on this journey. Nevertheless, the launch of our cart comes at a considerable expense. We are reaching out to our friends, family, and those far and wide to help us launch this Fall. Though it's a unique approach to getting our coffee and cocoa to the right market, we couldn't be more confident in our endeavor.

I want to express my utmost gratitude to all those who have been supportive along the way. I can't wait to share WAFI’s journey with you all.

More to come!

Dennis