Macadamia Value Chain Development Project

Ethiopia: Development of the macadamia value chain for a climate-resilient future for Ethiopian coffee farmers, Tearfund/Achmea Foundation, EUR 89,854, 2026-2029

Goal 

The overarching goal of the project is to create enhanced climate resilience and economic stability for 1,369 Ethiopian smallholder farmers by 2029 through diversified and sustainable income streams, driven by integrated macadamia cultivation and strengthened local value chains.

What we do

Coffee smallholder farmers in southern Ethiopia are increasingly exposed to climate-related risks such as rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, droughts, pests, and declining soil fertility. As more than 15 million Ethiopians depend on coffee for their livelihoods, these trends threaten household income and regional stability. Many farmers lack access to viable diversification options that are climate‑resilient, market‑driven, and financially accessible. At the same time, Ethiopia lacks a reliable local supply of high‑quality macadamia seedlings, preventing farmers from adopting a promising perennial cash crop.

This project addresses these challenges by developing an inclusive, climate‑resilient macadamia value chain that complements existing coffee-based livelihoods. Building on a successful pilot initiated in 2019, the project will support 1,369 smallholder farmers to integrate macadamia into their farming systems through agroforestry and intercropping. The approach is anchored in Self‑Help Groups (SHGs) and local community structures, ensuring strong farmer organization, gender inclusion, and local ownership.

EUCORD is responsible for the delivery of the following activities:

• Carry out a scan of the 330 macadamia producers to gather information to design a functional farmer organization model.
• Design a scalable macadamia producer organization model to be implemented in collaboration with mature producers and Ten Senses.
• Co-design in collaboration with EKHC a scalable business model to future-proof the benefits of including more macadamia in the current SHG and CLA farming models.
• Develop training programs with practical tools & materials specific to the model proposed for mature producers (manuals, checklists, training curricula, templates for governance/M&E).
• Develop training programs with practical tools & materials specific to SHGs and CLAs (manuals, checklists, training curricula, templates for governance/M&E).
• 2 Training of trainers programs (total of 35 persons) and tools for BDS skill development necessary for the implementation of a profitable macadamia producer organization model.
• Present findings in workshop on functional farmer organization models to NGOs supporting macadamia producers (EKHC, TDA, MKC, Caritas, and potential new partners).