Dairy Project

One of our most transformative initiatives, the Cow Program, began in 2008, inspired by a pledge from Starbucks' CEO and modeled after Rwanda’s national Girinka program, “one cow per poor family.” The idea was simple yet profound: provide manure to enrich coffee fields, offer milk, a staple of Rwandan life for better nutrition, and above all, rebuild trust and solidarity within a community once deeply fractured. Here, a cow is more than livestock. It is a symbol of prosperity, generating ripple effects that extend from economic gain to social cohesion. What began as a donation of dairy cattle has since grown through the support of partners and the cooperative’s own commitment. Using coffee sales premiums, we continue to purchase cows for members, advancing income diversification, supplying organic manure, and improving access to nutritious food. Success opened new doors. By 2015, milk had become so abundant that the cooperative with support from international partners like the Progresso Foundation and Melbourne Coffee Merchants launched the Musasa Milk Collection Center. What started as a modest facility has since been renovated and expanded, evolving into a full dairy business in 2025 that now processes fresh milk, fermented milk, yogurt, and cheese. This diversification into dairy, alongside coffee, ensures year-round income for members. To date, a significant number of members have received cows, either through direct purchase or a pass-on system in which newborn calves are gifted to neighboring families. The program has led to increased household revenue, improved nutrition through protein-rich diets, job creation, greater farm productivity from manure use, and meaningful contributions to climate change mitigation. Beyond these tangible outcomes, the Cow Program has helped nurture a more unified and resilient coffee community, strengthening both social bonds and long-term economic stability.