Since 2018 five Integral Alliance Members have been supporting an ambitious project led by Integra Foundation to introduce macadamia as a climate-resilient, long-living cash crop tree to coffee farmers in southern Ethiopia. Integral Members Integra (Slovakia), Tearfund Australia, Tearfund Ireland, Tearfund Netherlands, and Transform Aid International (Australia) are working together with local churches, NGOs, and commercial partners to build something that takes years to bear full fruit — but which will benefit generations.
We spoke to Veronika Macsai, Integra’s Director of Programmes, to understand more about this visionary collaboration — and how it reflects on Integral’s 2025 theme of Hope which is drawn from the Bible verse Romans 15:13.
What problem does this project address?
Coffee is a lifeline for more than 15 million Ethiopians — but it’s also one of the crops most threatened by climate change. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and new pests are devastating yields, especially in regions like West Guji and Guji in southern Ethiopia.
Farmers who depend on coffee are increasingly vulnerable. They need alternatives — long-term, sustainable ones — that don’t just respond to the crisis, but build resilience for decades to come.
What is Integra doing?
We began introducing macadamia as a new, climate-smart crop back in 2018. It’s ideal for this region — it thrives in similar conditions to coffee, can be intercropped with it, improves soil health and biodiversity, and absorbs carbon dioxide. Most importantly, macadamia trees live for over 100 years and offer farmers a sustainable source of income far into the future.
To date, we’ve distributed over 80,000 seedlings brought in from Kenya, and built a local nursery in Bule Hora to grow our own grafted trees suited to Ethiopian conditions. With support from Integral Alliance Members, this work has recently expanded — we are now planning to plant a further 100,000 trees and engage an additional 3,000 smallholder coffee farmers.
We’re now seeing the first signs of flowering and nut formation on the early trees — a powerful image of hope in a time of climate crisis.
Can you share a story from the field?
Yes — Amelework, a coffee farmer and one of our model macadamia growers, told us: “These new trees give us hope. We were struggling with falling coffee yields, but now, after four years, we see flowers and even the first nuts. We believe this can secure a better future — not just for us, but for our whole community.”
Another key voice is Luku, who manages the seedlings nursery: “I take care of the nursery and our farm’s macadamia trees. We’ve been trained by an expert from Kenya, and we expect the first real harvest this year. We’re hopeful that this crop will allow us to send our children to school.”
How is climate change shaping this work?
It’s at the core of everything. Climate change is not a future threat — it’s already reshaping lives and livelihoods. This project is about helping farmers not just survive, but adapt and thrive.
By introducing a long-living tree crop, supporting reforestation, and building a full value chain — from seedlings to global markets — we’re building climate resilience and creating economic stability, especially for women and vulnerable households.
What’s the role of Integral Alliance in this?
The project wouldn’t exist at this scale without collaboration. Tearfund Australia, Tearfund Ireland, Tearfund Netherlands, and Transform Aid International are all involved through Integral’s framework of trust and joint mission.
Their support enables not just planting, but deep transformation: from local nursery development and farmer training, to the creation of a model agroforestry farm and education center, to the establishment of nut sourcing, processing, and job creation — building the entire value chain from the seedling to the final customer of delicious macadamia nuts in Europe.
I feel that Romans 15:13 captures the heartbeat of the project: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope…”
Right now, the project is in that trusting stage. The farmers, partners, and communities are planting in faith, seeing early signs of growth — flowers, small nuts — and believing that a harvest is coming. It’s not overflowing yet, but it’s on the way! Through the power of the Holy Spirit — and the faithful collaboration of God’s people — this is Romans 15:13 in progress.