Certified Organic Coffee | D.R. CONGO (North Kivu)
The Virunga Coffee Company operates in the hills surrounding Butembo in North Kivu, a region perfectly situated at the equator with rich volcanic soils and good rainfall. The high elevation of this Great Lakes area makes it ideal for high quality arabica production. Virunga Coffee Company was established in 2011 by Schluter SA with the vision to: “Change lives in DRC through commerce in a mutually profitable way by being a major coffee actor in Kivu.” Since then Virunga has invested significantly in agronomy training, field support activities, processing infrastructure and the organic certification of over 2000 farmers. Shop now.
Certified Organic Coffee | Ethiopia (Sidamo)
Fero Cooperative is located near the town of Yirgalem in Sidamo, Ethiopia and is a member of the greater Sidama Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union. There are currently 5058 members of the Fero Cooperative, 903 of whom are female. The cooperative and coffee are Fairtrade Certified and Organic Certified. The word ‘Fero’ comes from the word for a strong metal and represents the producers as united and working together, forming a strong bond, and making a big difference in their community. Shop now
Fair Trade Certified Coffee | Rwanda (Musasa)
The Dukunde Kawa Cooperative is located high in the hills of the Musasa region of Rwanda. The high altitude plays an important part in the exceptional quality of the coffee produced. The sweeping views from the washing station of green hills and valleys is breath-taking.Dukunde Kawa was established in 2004 and currently has 1176 active members. The cooperative has been Fairtrade Certified since 2004 and added Rainforest Alliance, UTZ and Café Practises Certification in 2018. The cooperative owns three washing stations, Musasa, Coko, and Mbilima.Mbilima washing station has been Organic Certified as part of a Women in Coffee program. Dukunde Kawa have established themselves as an important part of the community. They employ people, run a basket weaving project, provide access to a grain mill, have built a milk pasteurisation facility, as well as offering loans to farmers specifically for school fees and medical expenses. They have given the community cows as a great source of additional income.The cooperative focuses on perfecting their coffee by offering three day agricultural training sessions for 400 farmers at a time at least once a year. The training covers coffee quality, farming, and certifications among other things. They have also recently built a full dry mill facility which creates local employment and additional income for farmers in the Musasa region.Bean There began purchasing coffee from Dukunde Kawa in 2013 and we are inspired by their model of how Fairtrade works not only for the farmers but also the community at large. Shop now