Macenta Beans
Coffee farming in West Africa 

Kickstarting a radical shift in the global coffee supply chain and enabling a grassroots community to collaborate effectively. 

Macenta is one of the birthplaces of coffee. After decades of market exploitation and environmental damage, a community startup based in Berlin and Guinea has been mobilising the region’s farmers and building an equitable, vibrant and more sustainable coffee economy.

Off the back of a successful 2020 crowdfunding campaign I worked on with the founders, Macenta Beans secured partnerships, finance and long-term commitments from key stakeholders in West Africa and Europe. This has enabled pioneering intrastructure projects, including West Africa’s first ‘coffee wash station’, a state-of-the-art green cherry processing facility that removes former dependencies on multinational conglomerates while raising standards of production and product quality. This is already shaking up the value chain, inspiring young people to go into agriculture and environmental stewardship, and stimulating the regional economy. 

A funding application I worked on with director Sorina Gajewski and producer Milena Krmek was awarded 35,000 EUR by the German federal ministry of culture (BKM) in 2022. The resulting documentary, ‘First Taste’ (30 minutes) aired at various film festivals in 2024. Meanwhile, the venture continues to go from strength to strength with expansion across Europe as the appeal of a more ecologically sustainable and transparent product providence grows among specialist coffee buyers, outlets and consumers.