1. Establishment of Tanzania Coffee Association (TCA)
TCA was founded in 1997 being a successor to the Tanzania Coffee Traders Association whose members were mainly coffee exporters.

2. Membership of TCA
The membership of TCA comprises:
• coffee producers - individual farmers, farmers groups, co-operative societies/unions.
• Parchment/cherry coffee buyers
• coffee processors/millers (and warehousing)
• coffee exporters
• coffee roasters
• coffee liquorers and related service groups.

3. Vision
The Vision of the Tanzania Coffee Association is to be an Association in which all the coffee stakeholders co-exist peacefully, committed to performing various activities in promoting meaningful competition with a view to ensuring that the coffee industry is sustainable at all levels and, specifically uplifting the livelihood of the coffee farmer.

4. Mission statement
The Association’s Mission is to apply The highest standard of excellence to farming, research, primary processing, purchasing, milling, roasting, warehousing and marketing; and at the same time to contribute positively to the community and the environment.

5. Objective of TCA
The objective of TCA is to promote, protect, and further the interests of those connected with or interested in the Cultivation, Parchment and Cherry Coffee Buying, Milling, Roasting and in Exporting -- collectively known as stakeholders.

6. Activities
TCA’s immediate objectives are concentrated on the four main areas of the coffee industry:
• Production – support activities and investment aimed at increasing productivity at low costs of production by assisting technology transfer from research to the farm level; production and planting of disease - resistant varieties; application of organic fertilization, etc.
• Primary Processing - promote and support ecological wet processing of coffee.
• Marketing - focus on the commercialisation strategy of Tanzania coffee in the specialty market.
• Promotion of local market so that it can take a significant proportion of production and hence provide some stability to the prices.
• Policy advocacy: To assist and advise statutory bodies in the United Republic of Tanzania on all matters affecting coffee regulation and licensing as well as other policy issues affecting the coffee industry.
• Development of coffee stakeholders’ forum: To liaise with other stakeholders with regard to the preparations of stakeholders’ forum where several issues pertaining to the industry are discussed and taken on board to formulate policy.

7. Membership benefits
• Awareness to members of coffee quality standards as stipulated by consumers.
• Consultation with the government on harmonisation and reduction of taxes/cesses on coffee (pressure group)
• Increased coffee volume sales through coffee promotion in consumer countries e.g. Japan, USA, etc.
• Networking amongst stakeholders for the overall development an improvement of the coffee industry with a view to attaining sustainability.
• Facilitation to members to participate in coffee exhibitions and conferences.

8. Management Committee Members (elected on October 1, 2008 for two year term)

9. Contact person:
James E. Lema Executive Secretary P.O. Box 6760, Room 117 First Floor, Kahawa House, Moshi - Tanzania, Tel: 027 27 53589, Fax: 027 27 53589, Email: tca@kilionline.com

A list of all members and their contact addresses is available on request.