Zambia - Mount Sunzu

ROAST 

• Farm: Mount Sunzu
• Location: Mbala, Zambia
• Varietal: Marsellesa AB
• Altitude: 1600m
• Process: Natural
• Owners: Mount Sunzu

Cupping Notes

Treacle, cola, mellow acidity, bold.

Information

The latest coffee to feature in our premium range finds its way to us through our good friends and partners at Omwani Coffee. The coffee not only showcases the best of how coffee can taste, but how coffee can be farmed. Agriculturally speaking, Mount Sunzu Coffee are at the cutting edge of what progressive, climate-smart and sustainable coffee farming can be, and mean to an area. 

Mount Sunzu Coffee Ltd is a specialty coffee producer operating in northern Zambia, near the country's highest mountain, Mount Sunzu. Founded in 2018, the company is dedicated to revolutionizing coffee production through sustainable and climate-smart farming practices, cutting-edge technology, and a strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

Mount Sunzu were particularly motivated by the perceived lack of innovation in coffee farming compared to other agricultural sectors. Where other coffee growing countries often prioritise efficiency or quality, Mount Sunzu aim to combine both aspects in one farm through;

·       Cutting-edge irrigation systems to optimise water use

·       Sustainable, climate-positive farming with the goal to absorbs more CO₂ than it emits

·       A socially responsible model that provides stable employment and fair wages to local workers

The farm spans 750 hectares, with 115 dedicated to coffee cultivation, and an additional 35 hectares set to be developed by 2025. The remaining 600 hectares of land are actively reforested with the native Miombo forest, balancing conservation with agriculture. The farm has over 120 full-time employees and up to 120 seasonal workers, offering fair wages and benefits, including pensions, health insurance, and accident coverage. Within the community, Mount Sunzu have helped with infrastructure development, including an 8km road network for local communities, and are planning for further investment in water purification, power lines, and affordable solar energy solutions.

The coffee varietal itself is a product of this innovative and climate-smart practice, being a new varietal to the world of coffee called Marsallesa. The bean is a hybrid development between both a central American and an Indonesian varietal, bosting a bean that is incredibly resistant to leaf rust and plant diseases, high yielding, and perfectly suited to the medium altitudes of Zambia and Mount Sunzu. This bean’s qualities will help provide stability and consistency throughout the changing pressures and threats that climate-change poses to coffee farmers.