Liberia's First National Coffee Mother Garden Established

12 November 2024
Liberian Observer (Monrovia)
By Judoemue M. Kollie

In a landmark development for Liberia's coffee industry, the International Trade Centre (ITC), in partnership with the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI), has established the country's first National Coffee Mother Garden. This transformative initiative, established last June, is part of the ACP Business Friendly Coffee Program funded by the European Union. This one-acre garden at CARI, is home to 4,500 Robusta and native Liberica coffee plants, selected for their distinctive flavors and resilience to local conditions.

This pioneering initiative seeks to transform Liberia's coffee sector by producing high-quality coffee seeds locally, reducing reliance on imported seeds, and making reliable planting materials accessible to farmers across Liberia's main coffee-producing counties: Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Bomi, and Montserrado.

By boosting seed propagation, the National Coffee Mother Garden is poised to play a crucial role in revitalizing coffee production nationwide.

The garden integrates intercropping with food crops, promoting agroforestry and enhancing biodiversity, contributing to Liberia's broader environmental goals. This practice supports soil quality, reduces erosion, and provides additional sources of income and food for local communities, underscoring ITC and CARI's commitment to sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship.

The garden is managed by CARI to showcase agroforestry practices that can be replicated by local farmers.

The partnership with CARI is an example of ITC's Alliance for Action (A4A) approach, which emphasizes the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration. By bringing together institutions, farmers, researchers, and government bodies, the A4A approach aims to strengthen the coffee sector's entire value chain, from seed propagation to market access.

The long-term vision is to build a robust and competitive coffee industry in Liberia. By empowering local farmers and promoting sustainable methods, the garden aims to position Liberia as a key player in the coffee market regionally and globally.

Read the original article on Liberian Observer.

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