Abakundakawa Ruanda Farmer & Coffee Intro

The specialty coffee of the Abakundakawa cooperative stands for complex fruity flavors, modern agroforestry in coffee cultivation and women empowerment in Rwanda.

ORIGIN

The coffee plantations for our Abakundakawa coffee are located in East Africa, in Rwanda, often called the "land of a thousand hills." These lushly vegetated "hills" in the Gakenke district offer ideal conditions for coffee cultivation at an altitude of 1,700 to 2,000 meters above sea level.

THE FARMERS' COOPERATIVE

Abakundakawa Rushashi is the name of the farmers' cooperative that was founded in 2007. It is an association of nearly 2,000 small family farms that grow coffee on their plantations and wash, dry and market it together at the central Rushashi "Coffee Washing Station" (CWS).

Due to the close partnership with importers like TSU-trade since 2013, an extensive exchange of knowledge and the adequate payment for their coffee beans, which is far above the usual market values, the cooperative is developing steadily. The additional income was used in the first step, for example, to repay loans and thus reduce dependence on banks (which take 14 to 20% interest!).

ORGANIC FARMING AND AGROFORESTRY.

In 2017, a major milestone was reached: the Rushashi CWS became the first coffee washing station in Rwanda to be certified organic. This is a particularly pioneering achievement in a country where strong chemical inputs are commonly used. (Note: We currently do not have the organic label on our coffee, as the continuous certification across all sales stations is a high bureaucratic effort. We are working on it!).

But that's not all: Through so-called "agroforestry practices", new, sustainable methods are increasingly being introduced, which result in the fields being sufficiently fertilized, protected from pests and supplied with water ... and all of this by specifically supporting the self-regulating forces of nature! An example is the water- and energy-saving triple fermentation and advanced further use of the fruit pulp as a natural source for fertilizer. In addition, shady palm trees are planted next to the coffee plants. This creates a natural shelter for the plantation.

All the work has paid off: Abakundakawa Rushashi's wonderfully complex coffees have been nominated several times in the national "Rwanda Cup of Excellence" competition, and the people in the cooperative have good reason to be proud of it.

WOMEN-EMPOWERMENT

The Abakundakawa cooperative supports two very successful women's associations: Duhingekawa and Abanyameraka. As a result, 38% of the cooperative's nearly 2,000 family farms are run by women. Due to the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, many women lost their husbands and in addition to their families they had to take care of land ownership and income. This led to women taking over family management and thus becoming the owners of the coffee trees (which traditionally belonged to the men of the family). Since the products supplied by women receive a special support, this change getting more and more valuable and is now also causing a change in the awareness of men.

Today, Rwanda is one of the countries with the strongest economic growth and a particularly strong women's movement.

ALL THE WAY TO YOU

    1. Plantations: almost 2000 independent coffee farmers in Rwanda, in the mountainous region of Gakenke
    2. Washing station & drying: Abakundakawa Rushashi cooperative & Rushashi coffee washing station (CWS)
    3. Sorting & Export: Misozi Coffee Company Ltd.
    4. Transport: Bolloré African Logistics
    5. Importeur: TSU trade
    6. Roasters: farmersvaluefirst in cooperation with selected craft roasters in Holland & Germany (craft roast)
    7. Distribution: farmersvaluefirst

      OVERVIEW

      • Taste: This coffee is characterized in particular by its fruity note: The taste of wild cherry with a clear note of honey, jasmine and black tea make it uniquely fruity.
      • Variety: 100% Arabica (Bourbon, French Missin, Jackson, Mbirizi)
      • Prozesse: "fully washed" hand-picked, peeled, fermented three times, washed in clear mountain water, sun-dried (with regular turning). "Natural" dried in its own pulp evenly on concrete and sun beds under constant turning.
      • Roasting: This is a "craft roast" in which the craftsmanship of the roasters plays a decisive role. The aim of our roasting is the complete and uniform development of the coffee beans. Whether for filter coffee or espresso, our roast is suitable for all preparation methods.
      • Price that the cooperative receives from us: on average 140% above the market price.
      • SCA Rating: After the last harvest, our Abakundakawa coffee in the "washed" variant received a proud 86 points out of a possible 100 in the SCA rating.
      • SCA stands for "Specialty Coffee Association". The SCA rating system evaluates the quality of green coffee according to sensory and physical criteria. This is done in so-called "cuppings". If a coffee achieves a rating of over 80 points, it is considered a "specialty coffee" - in other words, one of the highest quality coffees available anywhere in the world. The other levels are:
        • 80 - 84.99 points: very good
        • 85 - 89.99 points: excellent »Abakundakawa«
        • 90 - 100 points: outstanding (less than 1% of the world's harvested coffees receive this rank!) Read more here: SCA Coffee Standards

      Enjoy Abakundakawa specialty coffee freshly roasted, click here!

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