Supporting Tribal Coffee Farmers Livelihoods
(Project under the TRANSFORM programme funded by Unilever and FCDO)
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This ongoing TRANSFORM project strengthens tribal and marginal coffee and black pepper producers in Karnataka by connecting them directly to commercial market demand, driving sustainable livelihoods and eco-friendly farming practices.
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Core Components
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Market Alignment: The project supports producers in meeting exact buyer specifications across four primary dimensions:
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Quality: Enhancing intrinsic crop characteristics through tailored ecosystem and variety management.
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Quantity: Aggregating farm produce to supply consistent volumes required by buyers.
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Identity: Adopting regenerative agriculture, clean production methods, and strict environmental and social compliance.
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Delivery: Streamlining supply chain logistics to ensure reliable and timely product delivery.
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Business Networks: Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) form strategic partnerships with commercial coffee and spice entities, government bodies, and non-profits. These linkages provide technical support, infrastructure, input access, and entry into promising commercial markets.
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Value Proposition: Member-farmers receive quality inputs, extension services, and equitable governance structures. Simultaneously, commercial supply chains secure a reliable, traceable supply of sustainably produced, high-grade coffee and black pepper.
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Key Activities: Field operations focus on practical capacity building and quality control:
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Conducting farmer training in scientific cultivation and post-harvest handling.
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Supplying subsidized, high-quality seedlings to replenish sub-optimal plant populations.
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Distributing biofertilizers, decomposers, and bioagents to minimize chemical dependence.
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Establishing/Modernizing post-harvest infrastructure, such as tarpaulin sheets and pepper deconing units, to reduce crop loss.
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Handholding FPOs to differentiate produce and navigate commercial sales.
Resource Structure: Cluster-level field teams (mapped to partner FPOs) and a Project Coordinator manage project activities with technical training from the Coffee Board and Spices Board. External partner organizations contribute aligned non-cash investments for holistic community development.
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Strategic Impact for TE
The initiative directly advances TE’s mission of environmental and social sustainability. By validating this market-driven model, TE establishes a scalable launchpad to design similar revenue-
generating interventions across diverse producer groups and commodity value chains.
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On 12th February 2026, Unilever provided Terra Ecopreneurs an opportunity to share its work with Ms. Rianne Buter, Global Head - Sustainability, at Unilever House, Mumbai. Dr. Ashwini Kumar made a brief presentation regarding the activities and impact of the ongoing TRANSFORM project, and also spoke about the growth opportunities to extend the project's outcomes. Thank you Unilever for providing us this opportunity.
During 7-9 January 2026, Terra Ecopreneurs was happy to host Mr. Kubal Kanhay and Ms. Aditi Murali of Unilever who met stakeholders of the ongoing TRANSFORM project. During the visit, meetings were organized with some of the partner FPOs and model farms in Chikkamagalur district. Thank you Mr. Kanhay and Ms. Aditi for visiting us.
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The Indian coffee sector is not just lush landscapes, plush villas, homestays and global lifestyles. About a fourth of India's coffee growing area is cultivated by tribal communities in forests and forest fringes. While some tribal coffee clusters have benefitted from private and public programmes, most tribal growers continue to depend on intermediaries and local supply chains. Terra Ecopreneurs has been working with tribal coffee growers to improve the tribal farms' productivities and product quality by forming/engaging with FPOs, and to integrate these communities/organizations with formal coffee supply chains.