Our first-ever coffee from Tanzania comes from the north—literally bordering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, home to an abundance of wildlife that largely characterizes how much of the western world thinks of Tanzania. In reality, and even just the small, warped corner of reality that is Coffee, Northern Tanzania is an interesting, somewhat unique landscape in the context of the broader catalog of communities we typically represent. It is where the bulk of this country’s production takes place, primarily on large estates that bear a conspicuous reminder of coffee’s bloody, exploitative, colonial past and — lest we forget — present. 

The proliferation of large coffee-growing estates in the early 19th century was a product of German colonialism, upsetting what had been centuries-old cultural traditions holding coffee cultivation in high regard, maintaining scarcity and upholding exceptional value. By dramatically augmenting the country’s output, the Germans were able to dilute the wealth that coffee had once created, thus making the population more easily governable and creating a large income stream for its new governors abroad. Well into the twentieth century, northern Tanzania continued to be a massive hub for production and processing, largely leaving the south behind, despite that region also possessing prime conditions for quality coffee growing, as would gradually become more apparent later on.

Today, the relics of these historical conditions remain apparent. Much more European immigration remained concentrated in the north after WWII, and even as systems have improved in some senses, the footprint remains extremely similar — though the past couple of decades have indeed seen growth in cooperative-like structures in the south.

For this year, all of our coffees come from the north, and specifically from two estates owned by white Tanzanians of European descent. Tembo Tembo and the neighboring estate, Acacia Hills, are both managed by Leon Christianakis — a third-generation farmer whose family migrated from Greece in the early 1900’s. Together, the farms employ 140 people and protect 400+ hectares of wilderness bordering the vast Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Though always wary of supporting enterprises that deviate this widely from most of our supply chains, in this case, we see the positive impact that these farms have had on the communities they inhabit, and are intrigued to see the extent to which these could be models of sorts for the evolution of production in the north.

As explained by our importers, Typica:

“Leon met his current business partner, Mark Stell, at the 2005 EAFCA exhibition (currently known as AFCA). Mark is the founder of Portland Coffee Roasters in the US. Leon and Mark hit it off, and in 2007 they jointly purchased a coffee plantation on Mount Oldeani, which is now known as Acacia Hills. Leon was convinced that if Mark, who knew about roasting, and he, who knew about farming, could work together, they could create a synergy.”

From this beginning, Leon and Mark gradually revitalized a dilapidated farm, planted it with quality-focused varieties, and invested tremendously in quality at every juncture. Some years down the line, the duo decided to host a high-profile cupping event, spotlighting this region’s potential for quality and reinvigorating Tanzania’s perception on the coffee map. In parallel, the heightened attention brought heightened income into the community, which Leon invested largely into what seemed to be unanimously agreed upon as the area’s two foremost priorities: education and clean water. 

In Leon’s words, “I think if our model could be sort of replicated by other farms, or other cooperatives, or things of that nature, it would help the Tanzanian coffee industry, which could  ultimately help the people involved in the coffee industry.”

Though far more complex than we ordinarily are able to draw attention to, we remain open to unique and positive examples of coffee’s potential like this one, and are thrilled to represent the work. Altogether, we purchased four different lots from Tanzania—three from Acacia Hills, and this one from Tembo Tembo, all of which made distinctly positive and intriguing impressions on us. With this 100% Kent variety selection from Tembo Tembo, we feel like we’ve got the ideal all-day introduction to this gorgeous country.