Zambia – Northern Province, AAA RFA

Coffee cultivation in Zambia began in the 1950s when European settlers introduced the crop, focusing initially on commercial production. In the 1970s, the Zambian government, with support from the World Bank and later the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), launched initiatives to diversify the economy beyond copper exports. These projects aimed to promote high-quality coffee cultivation at minimal costs and encouraged smallholder participation to combat rural poverty. By the mid-1980s, Zambia’s coffee production had risen significantly, leading to an annual export quota of 350 metric tons granted by the International Coffee Organization in 1985. Today, Zambia is recognized for its specialty Arabica beans, cultivated primarily in the Northern Province’s high-altitude regions, with ongoing efforts to enhance quality and sustainability in the coffee sector.