Example Pillar Page #1

Rwanda is a small, landlocked country with a very dense population. Even though the economy struggles, it is well-organised, with minimal crime and corruption in comparison to some of its neighbouring countries.

Coffee has been a pillar of the Rwandan economy since the 1930s, with the first seeds introduced by Belgian colonialists. However, the coffee industry was severely threatened by the global coffee price drop in the 1990s, followed by the Rwandan genocide in 1994 which left the country broken and destroyed vital coffee infrastructure.

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Fortunately, a lot has changed since then. As the country continues to make progress, we are witnessing an improvement in the quality of its coffee. Rwanda has pushed through government reforms that have made it easier to sell coffee. The country has made a remarkable comeback and is now known as an African powerhouse. Projects run by NGOs like Technoserve have had a huge impact on the way producers manage traceability through the supply chain. We believe this is part of the reason why Rwanda so quickly managed to place themselves on the map as a “specialty” coffee origin.

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There are approximately 500,000 smallholder coffee farmers, owning around 170 coffee trees each - a tiny production. Farmers also usually cultivate other crops like corn and bananas. The altitude of farming locations ranges from 1200 – 2100 masl. The producers we collaborate with work at 1700 masl and up.

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It is very common for farmers in Rwanda to own just one hectare of land. The farmers deliver cherries to medium-sized washing stations who are responsible for processing and drying the coffee. Washing stations then deliver the parchment to exporters, who cup and grade the coffee, dry mill and export the finished green coffee.

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There are about 300 washing stations in the country that generally produce only fully washed coffees. Coffee not processed by a washing station is processed at home and sold as a lower quality coffee at local markets.