Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Burundi’s Coffee Sector: Challenges and Prospects

Mateusz Prorok

doi:10.22630/PRS.2025.25.3.10

PDF (English)

Opublikowane:

Sep 30, 2025

Numer

Tom 25 Nr 3 (2025)

Dział

Articles

CitedBy/Share

Mateusz Prorok

European Commission

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8095-9113

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22630/PRS.2025.25.3.10

Abstrakt

This study examines the role of entrepreneurship and innovation in revitalising Burundi’s declining coffee sector, which remains a vital pillar of the country’s economy. Despite liberalisation reforms and increased private investment since 2008, coffee production has sharply declined due to structural inefficiencies, ageing plantations, poor infrastructure, and institutional fragility. The research analyses how entrepreneurial initiatives – particularly those led by cooperatives, women, and youth – can foster value addition, enhance coffee quality, and improve market access. It draws on a mixed-methods approach combining a systematic literature review, policy analysis, and over thirty field interviews with stakeholders across the value chain. The findings highlight emerging innovations, such as quality certification, micro-milling enterprises, and digital tools, alongside persistent barriers, including limited access to finance, technical knowledge gaps, and governance challenges. The study concludes that a coherent ecosystem - comprising targeted training, public-private investment, infrastructure upgrades, and regulatory reform – is essential to unlock the sector’s entrepreneurial potential. By integrating entrepreneurship into Burundi’s coffee development strategy, the country can pursue both rural transformation and export competitiveness.

Jak cytować

Prorok, M. (2025). Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Burundi’s Coffee Sector: Challenges and Prospects. Zeszyty Naukowe SGGW W Warszawie - Problemy Rolnictwa Światowego, 25(3), 31–52. https://doi.org/10.22630/PRS.2025.25.3.10

Bibliografia

African Development Bank (AfDP) (2022). Burundi – Agropastoral Entrepreneurship and Professional Development Project for Youth and Women (PEAPJF-Burundi). African Development Bank. Available from: https://www.afdb.org/en/documents/burundi-agropastoral-entrepreneurship-and-professional-development-project-youth-and-women-burundi-peapjf-burundi-project-appraisal-report (accessed 05 July 2025).

Babu, S. C., Manvatkar, R., Kolavalli, S. (2015). Strengthening Capacity for Agribusiness Development and Management in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Journal of Management, 2(1), 1-30. doi: 10.1080/23322373.2015.1112714.

Bisekwa, E., Njogu, P.M., Kufa-Obso, T. (2021). Wet Coffee Processing Discharges Affecting Quality of River Water at Kayanza Ecological Zone, Burundi. Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 11, 707-721. doi: 10.4236/ojapps.2021.116052.

Bro, A., Clay, D. (2017). Transforming Burundi’s coffee sector through strategic value chain investments. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, 7(3), 218-230. doi: 10.1108/JADEE-11-2015-0053.

Bukuru, E., Tabitha, N. (2021). Financial factors affecting production efficiency of small scale coffee farms in Burundi. International Journal of Finance and Accounting, 6(2), 57-70. doi:10.47604/ijfa.1424.

Casey, E. (2024). Shrewsbury company partnering with USAID to establish coffee-focused academy for women and youth in Burundi. Worcester Business Journal. Available from: https://www.wbjournal.com/article/shrewsbury-company-partnering-with-usaid-to-establish-coffee-focused-academy-for-women-and (accessed 05 July 2025).

Christiaensen, L., Demery, L. (2018). Agriculture in Africa: Telling Myths from Facts. Directions in Development. World Bank. doi: 10.1596/978-1-4648-1134-0.

Cochet, H., Ndarishikanye B. (1998). Les fondements de la crise caféière au Burundi. Mondes en Développement. Available from: https://hal.science/hal-02526007/ (accessed 05 July 2025).

Coffee Quality Institute (2024). Four-Fold Increase in Q Graders in Burundi. Coffee Quality Institute. Press release. Available from: https://www.coffeeinstitute.org/post/burundi-increases-q-grader-ranks (accessed 05 July 2025).

Comunicaffe. (2024). Coffee is recognized as a key strategic sector by the G7 in a historic milestone for the ICO. Comunicaffe website. Available from: https://www.comunicaffe.com/coffee-recognized-as-a-key-strategic-sector-by-the-g7-in-a-historic-milestone-for-the-ico/ (accessed 05 July 2025).

Daviron, B., Ponte, S. (2005). The Coffee Paradox: Global Markets, Commodity Trade and the Elusive Promise of Development. Zed Books. ISBN: 9781842774571.

EIN Presswire. (2025). Global Coffee Market Size Forecast to Reach USD 174.25 Billion by 2030 – Says Mordor Intelligence. WJBF NewsChannel. Available from https://www.wjbf.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/816771326/global-coffee-market-size-forecast-to-reach-usd-174-25-billion-by-2030-says-mordor-intelligence/ (accessed 11 August 2025).

Feller, G. (2019). For Burundi, failure to improve coffee production is not an option. Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. Available from https://www.teaandcoffee.net/feature/21719/for-burundi-failure-to-improve-coffee-production-is-not-an-option/ (accessed 05 July 2025).

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2019). Agripreneurship Across Africa – Stories of Inspiration. Food and Agriculture Organization. doi: 10.4060/CA4671EN.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), African Union Commission (AUC). (2024). Guide for the design and implementation of public–private partnerships for agribusiness development in Africa. Food and Agriculture Organization. doi: 10.4060/cc9990en.

Gerard, A., Lopez, M.C., Clay, D.C. and Ortega, D.L. (2021). Farmer cooperatives, gender and side-selling behavior in Burundi's coffee sector. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, 11(5), 490-505. doi: 10.1108/JADEE-05-2020-0081.

Glatzel, K., Alpert, E., Brittain S., Conway G., (2014). Small and growing entrepreneurship in African agriculture, Ag4impact, Montpellier Panel Report. Available from https://ag4impact.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MP_Report_2014.pdf (accessed 05 July 2025).

Goulding, D., (2022). Burundi Coffee Production and Sourcing Guide. Omwani Coffee Co. Available from https://www.omwani.com/post/burundi-coffee-production-and-sourcing-guide (accessed 11 August 2025).

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). (2022). Investing in youth for a sustainable future in agriculture and Food Systems: A dialogue on the way forward. International Fund for Agricultural Development. Available from https://www.ifad.org/en/w/events/investing-in-youth-for-a-sustainable-future-in-agriculture-and-food-systems-a-dialogue-on-the-way-forward (accessed 05 July 2025).

International Finance Corporation (IFC). (2022). Burundi Country Private Sector Diagnostic: Creating Markets in Burundi. International Finance Corporation. Available from https://www.ifc.org/content/dam/ifc/doc/mgrt/cpsd-burundi-en.pdf (accessed 05 July 2025).

International Finance Corporation (IFC). (2024). Unlocking Africa’s agribusiness potential. International Finance Corporation. Available from https://www.ifc.org/en/where-we-work/africa/unlocking-africa-s-agribusiness-potential (accessed 05 July 2025).

International Alert (2007). Reform of the Coffee Sector in Burundi. Political Economy Analysis. International Alert. Available from https://www.international-alert.org/app/uploads/2021/09/Burundi-Coffee-Sector-Reform-EN-2007.pdf (accessed 05 July 2025).

Iwacu. (2020). Burundi to harvest over 130,000 tons of coffee in 2020/2021 coffee season. Iwacu English News. Available from https://www.iwacu-burundi.org/englishnews/burundi-to-harvest-over-130000-tons-of-coffee-in-2020-2021-coffee-season/ (accessed 11 August 2025).

Kadzamira, M., Chege, F., Suntharalingam, C. (2024). African women and young people as agriculture service providers—business models, benefits, gaps and opportunities. CABI Agriculture and Bioscience 5, 24. doi: 10.1186/s43170-024-00229-y.

Kagisye, A., Nibasumba, A., Nduwayo, G., Bielders, C.L. (2024). What Factors Drive Coffee Yield in Burundi? A Country-Wide Study. Social Science Research Network (SSRN). doi: 10.2139/ssrn.4740937.

Lenaghan, T., Clay, D. (2018). Burundi Coffee Sector Diagnostic Study. Available from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329130289_Burundi_Coffee_Sector_Diagnostic_Study (accessed 05 July 2025).

Mangnus, E., Schoonhoven-Speijer, M. (2020). Navigating dynamic contexts: African cooperatives as institutional bricoleurs. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 18(2), 99-112. doi: 10.1080/14735903.2020.1718991.

Manirakiza, D. (2021). Impact des coopératives agricoles des cultures vivrières sur les conditions de vie des ménages ruraux au Burundi: Cas des coopératives de la province de Ngozi. Université de Liège. Available from: https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/258396 (accessed 05 July 2025).

Mudiwa, D. (2017). Theories of smallholder agribusiness entrepreneurship in the African context: A critical review. AFRREV IJAH: An International Journal of Arts and Humanities, 6(1), 221–236. doi: 10.4314/ijah.v6i1.18.

Ndikumana, J., Mwangi, G., Wainaina, C., Obso, T.K. (2021). Agro-morphological characterization of Arabica coffee cultivars in Burundi. International Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics, 15: 14-23. doi: 10.3923/ijpbg.2021.14.23.

Nibasumba, A., Jassogne, L., Nduwayo, G., Ngayempore, E., Simbashizubwoba, C., Asten, P. V., Bielders, C. (2021). Status and management of coffee plantations in Burundi: Reasons to worry. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 17(9), 1180-1191. doi: 10.5897/AJAR2021.15494.

Niteka, C. (2024). Burundi Coffee: Uplifting Farmers and Enhancing Global Quality. TechnoServe. Available from https://www.technoserve.org/blog/burundi-coffee-uplifting-farmers-quality/ (accessed 05 July 2025).

Ndihokubwayo, S., Havyarimana, T., Windbühler, S., Niragira, S., Habonimana, B., Kaboneka, S., Megerle, H. E. (2021). Farmers’ Perception of Coffee Agroforestry Systems in an Area Targeted for Organic Certification in Burundi. East African Journal of Forestry and Agroforestry, 3(1), 40-53. doi: 10.37284/eajfa.3.1.352.

Ortega, D. L., Bro, A. S., Clay, D. C., Lopez, M. C., Church, R. A., Bizoza, A. R. (2017). The Role of Cooperative Coffee-Washing Stations for Rwandan Coffee. Research Paper 27, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy. Michigan State University. Available from: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the-role-of-cooperative-coffee-washing-stations-for-rwandan-coffee (accessed 05 July 2025).

Payumo, J.G., Lemgo, E.A., Maredia, K. (2017). Transforming Sub-Saharan Africa’s Agriculture through Agribusiness Innovation. Global Journal of Agricultural Innovation, Research & Development, 12; 4(1), 1 12. https://doi.org/10.15377/2409-9813.2017.04.01.1.

Ponte, S., Gibbon, P. (2005). Quality standards, conventions and the governance of global value chains. Economy and Society, 34(1), 1-31. doi: 10.1080/0308514042000329315.

Rosenberg, M.N. (2022). What matters? The role of values in transformations toward sustainability: a case study of coffee production in Burundi. Sustainability Science, 17, 507-518. doi: 10.1007/s11625-021-00974-3.

Slosse, W., Buysse, J., D’Haese, M., Schoors, K., Emera, W. D. (2023). Formalized and spontaneous cooperation as substitutes: Crowding out in the cooperative coffee sector of Ngozi, Burundi. Journal of Co-operative Organization and Management, 11(1). doi: 10.1016/j.jcom.2023.10020.

Sucafina. (2024). Burundi, Country profile. Sucafina website. Available from https://sucafina.com/na/origins/burundi?price=USD (accessed 05 July 2025).

TechnoServe. (2019). Major New Initiative Aims to Make Burundi’s Coffee Sector More Profitable and Resilient. TechnoServe website. Available from https://www.technoserve.org/news/major-new-initiative-aims-to-make-burundis-coffee-sector-more-profitable-and-resilient/ (accessed 05 July 2025).

TechnoServe. (2024). Coffee Initiative. TechnoServe website. Available from https://www.technoserve.org/fight-poverty/projects/coffee-initiative/ (accessed 05 July 2025).

Trends in Africa. (2022). Coffee production in Burundi declines. Trends in Africa website. Available from: https://trendsnafrica.com/coffee-production-in-burundi-declines/ (accessed 05 July 2025).

Wale, E., Chipfupa, U. (2021). Entrepreneurship concepts/theories and smallholder agriculture: insights from the literature with empirical evidence from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 76(1), 67-79. doi: 10.1080/0035919X.2020.1861122.

World Bank. (2022). Implementation Completion and Results Report – Burundi Coffee Sector Competitiveness Project (P151869). World Bank Group. Available from https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/282531649959012797/pdf/Burundi-Coffee-Sector-Competitiveness-Project.pdf (accessed 05 July 2025).

Yumkella, K. K., Kormawa, P. M., Roepstorff, T., Hawkins A. M. (2011). Agribusiness for Africa’s Prosperity. United Nations Industrial Development Organization. ISBN: 9789211064469.

Yami, M., Abioye, O., Sore, S.Z. (2024). Factors influencing gender and youth integration in agricultural research and innovation in Africa. CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, 5, 12. doi: 10.1186/s43170-024-00215-4.

Statystyki

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Rekomendowane teksty

Licencja

Utwór dostępny jest na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie autorstwa – Użycie niekomercyjne 4.0 Międzynarodowe.

Article Sidebar

Main Article Content

Article Details

Downloads

policy Polityka prywatności