DunnBros

Lake Kivu Rwanda Fair Trade

Full City Roast

• Aroma: strawberry, cocoa, caramel
• Flavor: sweet
• Body: heavy, smooth
• Acidity: sparkling
• Finish: rich, round, hint of sweet orange

View photos from our recent coffee buying trip to Africa here.

Read more about our trip and find other great coffee information at the Dunn Bros Coffee blog.

We discovered this incredible coffee on a recent coffee buying trip near Gisenyi, Rwanda in a western province of the country. Farms of the Cooperative pour la Promotion des Activites Café (COOPAC), are set on the shores of Lake Kivo and perched on steep hills below seven Virunga volcanoes. The region's high altitude, heavy rainfall, and mineral-rich soils provide perfect conditions for growing the finest Arabica coffees.

This coffee is complex and well structured. It has an intense aroma, mostly berry and chocolate with added vanilla and caramel sweetness. It finishes with smooth lasting richness and a hint of sweet orange.

The specialty coffee story in Rwanda is quite remarkable. Coffee represents 75% of the country’s total economy. This is not surprising given the country’s ideal growing conditions consisting of high elevation and rich volcanic soil. Through the efforts of organizations like SPREAD (Sustainable Partnership to enhance Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Development) funded by the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) Agribusiness Project, coffee quality in Rwanda has experienced dramatic improvements. Over the past few years, the director of SPREAD, Tim Shilling, incorporated the assistance of the Specialty Coffee Association of America to educate and train Rwanda’s coffee producers on how to grow, harvest, and process great coffee. The strong leadership of Rwanda's government has embraced this initiative and as a result, Rwanda is now bringing to market some of East Africa’s finest coffee.

ABOUT THE CO-OP
Fair Trade Certified by the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) since 2003, COOPAC focuses on gender equality, economic development, and environmental conservation.
Education. The co-op's first year of Fair Trade revenues were invested in the construction of two primary schools. The cooperative also offers education credits.
Productive Investment. COOPAC has initiated a livestock distribution program in which members are provided with cows and goats and then distribute the livestock's offspring to other members. This program was initiated in tandem with an organic conversion program.
Credit Program. COOPAC offers low-interest financing to members.
Transportation Improvements. COOPAC has built health care clinics, roads and bridges with contributions from Fair Trade funds.