About Us
The MF Coffee Project is a collaboration between friends and coffee enthusiasts in Malawi and Scotland who believe that the coffee industry can be improved through direct trade and sustainable practices. Currently, the market is dominated by intermediaries and large monopolies, making coffee one of the most traded commodities in the world. This system often sees coffee beans bought and sold numerous times before reaching the consumer, disproportionately benefiting middlemen over farmers and consumers.
Without direct market access, coffee farmers are especially vulnerable to global market fluctuations. Our mission is to bridge the gap between farmers, producers, and consumers, establishing a more direct and equitable system for buying and selling coffee.
Noel, Coffee Farmer and Director of MF Malawi.
Lyson and Josh, Coffee Farmers and Directors of MF Malawi.
Cameron, Director of MF UK.
Our Journey
In 2015, we established the MF Washing Station in Nkhota Village, near Manchewe Falls—Malawi’s highest waterfall and our namesake. Here, founders Lyson, Noel, and Josh collaborate with the Tiko Coffee Collective, a group of smallholder farmers who are friends and relatives.
Coffee from Tiko, processed at MF, travels from Northern Malawi to Scotland, where it's roasted and sold at our Edinburgh shop and distributed across the UK by co-founder, Cameron.
This direct connection allows Tiko and MF to collaborate, invest, and grow, producing some of the world's finest coffee year after year. Every cup you enjoy supports sustainable farming, uplifts farmers, and boosts the local economy.
Our Goals:
Dry Mill Construction: Our next goal is to construct a dry mill in our village of Manchewe, where we can mill coffee locally using sustainable hydroelectricity. This will keep more of the processing in-house, create jobs, and add value to the crop.
Local Roasting Facility: Our long-term goal is to build a roasting facility in Malawi and continue to invest in our part of the country.
Why Choose Our Coffee?
Same Coffee Beans, Unique Processing: We partner with farmers to cultivate the highest quality coffee cherries. At MF, we explore diverse processing methods to bring out distinctive flavours of each cherry, letting you taste the remarkable difference processing method makes to your final cup of coffee.
Sustainable Practices: By choosing our coffee, you support sustainable farming methods and the shift from chemical fertilizers to shade-grown coffee. We collaborate with Chipopoma Power, a local hydroelectricity supplier harnessing the energy of nearby waterfalls to produce renewable power.
Direct Trade Benefits: By cutting out middlemen, we ensure that more of your money goes directly to the farmers who grow your coffee.
Customer Testimonials:
"Delicious coffee and really nice to feel like you're making the ethical choice too - perfect!” – Hannah S
Join Us:
Watch this space for updates on our progress and new initiatives. Join us on this journey of making a fairer coffee industry.
The Nyrenda Family, members of the Tiko Coffee Collective.