Zambia

Mpongwe Coffee and Organic Smallholders Cooperative

Mpongwe Coffee and Organic Smallholders Cooperative (MCOSC) is formed from Mpongwe Development Company employees and other smallholding farmers in the area, who typically grow groundnuts, sunflower and sesame. MCOSC aim to develop and market the natural resources of the region in a sustainable way. One of their projects is the collection and sale of Organic Chanterelle Mushrooms.

Every rainy season, MCOSC work with more than 3000 mushroom pickers, 90% of whom are women. The pickers collect fresh chanterelles mushrooms in the Mpongwe Woodlands. MCOSC has more than 10 collection point where trained staff carefully check all mushrooms. Later at the dedicated organic factory, the mushrooms are further checked, cleaned, graded, and dried by hot air on racks. Product is then weighed, ready for export.

This wild harvest, and its associated market, encourage the local people to preserve the environment and to move away from slash and burn agriculture which has a significant negative effect on the woodlands.

Tropical Wholefoods has purchased Chanterelle Mushrooms from Mpongwe since 1999.

Tropical Forest Honey

Tropical Wholefoods purchase Organic Rainforest honey from Tropical Forest Products (TFP) who import honey from the Kabompo Beekeepers of North West Zambia and beekeepers in many other parts of the world. We use their delicious honey in some of our cereal bars. For more information, visit www.tropicalforest.com